Metal Overdrive
by The Conflicted Writer
Summary: Metal Sonic: a machine that wishes desperately he wasn't a copy, of either life or of Sonic the Hedgehog. Through an adventure around the world as he seeks the power to come to life, he must come to grips with both what he is and what he wants to be.
1. Chapter 1

Welcome to the first story I wrote on this site. Some people might remember from before. Alas, my old account has been, for all intensive purposes, deleted. However, after being motivated by some pals, I'm reposting the story. Aside from fixing as many spelling mistakes as I can notice, this is completely unchanged. Please enjoy this story that just won't die.

This story is incredibly long and I'm always improving (I hope), so give me a chance and I don't think I'll disappoint.

**Metal Overdrive**

Copyright Sega

It has been said that I am a mere piece of metal. That, like a computer, I can not change unless programmed to. That I have no heart and will always be a killing "machine". Maybe I sound out of character right now, but I was never meant to have one in the first place.

My programming told me to destroy someone. That someone is a hero of this world. Why must I destroy him? My creator hates this hero for stopping his quest for world domination. Why does he want to conquer the world? The true psychological reason for that is out of my reach.

Psychological? The way I talk you would think I am alive. But the words of those around me say that I am a monster. And perhaps they are right. The hero I am meant to destroy says it every time we meet.

This hero made me hate him. And for that I am eternally grateful.

If I had never hated this hero, I would never know I could hate. If I can hate, I asked myself once, then can I love? If I can go against my programming for hate, can I go against my programming for other things, like living creatures go against there instincts?

After I had transformed myself into a "monster" in an attempt to destroy this hero and that hero defeated me, these thoughts drove through my head. And they drove me insane as well. I short-circuited and destroyed everything in a five mile radius with my claws. Most of that was left over debris from destroyed battle ships. Somewhere in my insanity I realized something. Something that did not compute yet made perfect sense. I was _thinking_. Not in a "**Does not compute**" way, but the thinking without thinking that has been described to me. At first I hated this new sensation of thought, as the massive amount of knowledge I possess was almost too much for my "mind" to bear. I can not feel pain, but I believe I felt something close to that during my "enlightenment". Then I felt scared as while I had great knowledge, my "mind" was blank without programming instructions. Then after a while, I looked around me and saw things differently. I had never experienced beauty before, or plain, or ugly. I _felt disgusted _at the twisted metal that lied around me. Than I _saw_ the light of the moon reflect off of my armor, and _looked _at the moon for the first time. I am not sure what I felt when I saw the moon. I believe it was peace, but it was hard to tell since I knew nothing but negative emotions at the time. But that changed surprisingly fast. As I looked down from the moon, I saw a simple white daisy. How it survived my rampage is be on me. Yet there it was, basking in the moonlight. I walked up to it. I touched it. It was such a trivial thing. A weak flower. Yet I saw the world in that flower. I saw myself, and the monster that I am reflecting off of it. I realized that my "emotions" are fake. That I am just a machine. And that I want to be more.

I almost plucked that flower. But it would have died if I had. I no longer wanted to kill things. Or, at least, my free will didn't want to. My hard drive was still set to destroy. Free will… it's a nice feeling.

After months of thinking about my new found free will, I decided that I am still a mere machine. So, I will correct the problem, even if I have to destroy a mountain in the process.

Metal (Sonic?) free will log, 2005

Metal Sonic. Feared by many. Hated by all. Respected by few.

Right now the hated part seemed pretty obvious. Knuckles was smashing the spikes on his fist into Metal's cranium. The Forest of Angel Island rang with the sound of clanging metal. And Metal did nothing to fight back.

Knuckles cried in frustration "Why the hell do you just stand there! Do you want to be sent to the junk heap, or is Eggman trying to make another mecha Knuckles from my data!" He gave a yell and aimed another super punch at Metal's head, but was barely stopped by metal hands and jet engine.

"Please," Metal begged (as best as a monotonous robot could) "I must consult the Master Emerald."

Knuckles barely heard what Metal said over his jet engine. But he heard him. Metal was surprised (though you couldn't tell) to see Knuckles let his guard down long enough to roll around on the forest floor and laugh for a good minute.

"HA HA HA, ho, hee, cough, wheeze, you think I'm going to fall for the same trick three times in a row! HA HA! And besides that, even if I did let you near the Master Emerald, which I won't! If I did, the Master Emerald wouldn't talk to a soulless machine." Knuckles went really close to Metal's head as if there was a camera in there (which there was, but wasn't active as of Knuckles poundings.). "Ya hear that Egg Head? Your plans need to be more thought out."

Metal's logic programs were in frenzy mode. Knuckles was a heroic person, from Metal's perspective. Were not heroes supposed to help those in need?

Metal fizzed and sparks for a few seconds then said, "I need help."

Knuckles squinted his eyes and said, "Why should I?"

Metal sputtered. "You are a… hero… heroes… help people."

Knuckles smirked. "Too bad you're not a person." Knuckles threw back his fist and, for Metal, the world went black.

-break-

Metal awoke several hours later to a night sky. The view was beautiful in Metal's optical sensors. He reached the conclusion that this was because Angel Island floated close to the sky. He could not reach a conclusion, however, as to why he was still active. His processor was damaged beyond repair. His joints were barely hinged together. His batteries barely had enough energy to make his foot move. Yet, by some miracle, he stood up and started slowly walking, making a horrible clanking and grating sound because pieces of his joints were bent the wrong way and rubbing together. Metal had learned to not look a miracle hoarse in the mouth.

Metal was determined to make it to the Master Emerald. According to Dr. Eggman's files on the Master Emerald, and from what Knuckles said in their conflict, the Master Emerald was alive to some degree. The Master Emerald is also supposed to control the most powerful energy source in the world, The Seven Chaos Emeralds. Logically, The Chaos Emeralds shouldn't be able to hold so much energy, nor should a giant emerald be able to command them, or talk for that matter. It also didn't make much sense that The Chaos Emeralds were each a color of the rainbow and were still called emeralds. But Metal had learned to throw all logic out the window and just keep going. If the Master Emerald was as powerful as they say it is, then maybe it could tell Metal how to become real.

After slowly walking for two hours, the Master Emerald shrine stood before Metal. It stood before him in all its ancient glory looking like the center of the world. But even greater was the jewel that floated in the shrine's center. Metal ever so slowly limped up the stone steps. He at last made it to the top where the Master Emerald was. Metal reached out his clawed hand and touched it.

Nothing, yet Everything.

Do you wish to live?

"Yes" Metal said.

Will you prove it?

"Yes" said Metal.

Walk until you can walk no more. At that time in space, you will have the answer.

Metal had guessed that the answer would be riddle of sorts. He still wished that the Master Emerald would have been straighter forward.

"Is there a specific direction I should go in?" Metal asked. The Master Emerald was silent.

Metal supposed that all heroes had to go through this kind of thing. He climbed back down the stairs, getting ready to randomly pick a direction.

The Guardian of the Master Emerald had seen the 'conversation' Metal had with it. With the ruckus Metal had made, Knuckles thought even the deafest person alive would come and check things out. It puzzled Knuckles to no end that Metal simply left the Master Emerald where it was. He saw Metal look around and start walking in the direction of south. Knuckles started to follow.

Metal had no idea what he was doing. Was there even a point to doing this? What if the words he sort of heard were delusions brought on by Knuckles beatings? Then he would be going nowhere.

Metal purposely tried to conflict this thought by thinking 'What else do I have to do?'

'You could go kill Sonic the Hedgehog…'

Metal would have squinted his eyes in frustration, if he had actual eyes. He no longer wanted to think those thoughts. But he did not know how to reprogram himself. Only Eggman did…

Metal decided to drown out thinking all together by listening to music. He sorted through a computer file in his head full of his favorite songs. He picked "Space Oddity" by David Bowie. Soon his head was (quite literally) full of strange sound effects, guitar playing, and space related lyrics. Metal slowly bobbed his head left and right to the slow beat of the music.

Knuckles was confused. Nothing new there. Why the hell would Dr. Eggman have Metal Sonic playing such a weird song on any mission? 'Maybe it is different' Knuckles thought. 'But how can a soulless machine be alive?'

Metal was so caught up in the music that he didn't see where he was going. He placed one foot right off of the island and almost fell into the ocean, which was at least 300 feet below. Metal comically scrambled to stay on the island and not fall. He would have used his jet to get down like he used to get up, if Knuckles hadn't made that barely functional.

Metal had nowhere to go. He was trapped. Knuckles made it obvious that he wouldn't help. He wished he could cry. He had so many tears to shed.

Then, he heard a verse that sparked him.

"_For heeeeerree am I floating in a tin can,_

_Faaaaaarrr above the world,_

_Planet earth looks blue,_

_And there's nothing I can dooooo."_

That seemed to fit the situation pretty well. "But there is something I can do" Metal said out loud. 'What the hell?' thought Knuckles.

Then the Music stopped. Metal eyes shut off and he stopped making whirring sounds. Without any grace or dignity, he slowly fell forward and plummeted like a rock. Knuckles ran to where Metal was standing and looked down. He kept looking until Metal splashed into the water. Knuckles stood there for a minute, unable to comprehend what just happened. Finally, he turned around and started heading back to the Master Emerald shrine, mumbling "Crazy robot…"

Somewhere far away, there is a place called Mystic Ruins. Here, a special robot will wash up on a nearby shore. Here, a two-tailed fox will make a difficult decision. Here, a robot gains a purpose, and a friend.

Space Oddity Copyright David Bowie

-Author's note-

My very first chapter. Ever. Looking back, I can't help but guffaw at how short it is. Later chapters get ridiculously long.

This was also back when the story was meant to go along side the idea of staying inside a 'believable' story that might work inside a real sonic game. Aside from some more emotional moments, I tried to keep the plot in the realm of Sonic. That gets thrown out the window at some point, but not for a while.

Well, cheers to whoever's reading this. Please give me your opinion on how horrible I did and we can all have a good laugh.

Sincerely,

The Conflicted Writer


	2. Waking Up

**Waking Up**

Miles "Tails" Prower was only an eight years old two-tailed fox, yet had accomplished more in three years than most people accomplished in their extremely long lifetimes. He had battled small robots, giant robots, a mad man, a crazed echidna, made a biplane, made an airplane that could turn into a mech walker and a go kart, made a fortress sized space ship to combat alien robots known as The Metarix, fixed a crazed robot based off of a ancient machine that destroyed most of the echidna race so that it wasn't evil, made a copy of the most powerful energy source in the world, and saved the world on more than one occasion. But fix Metal Sonic? He might as well try to collect The Chaos Emeralds.

Tails was sweating a storm as he worked on Metals hard drive. This Eggman robot wasn't like the other Eggman robots; he had artificial intelligence that could mimic an actual brain. It was practically like performing brain surgery. The strange thing is, Tails didn't remember this technology being there before.

"That's it" Tails cried. He threw his screwdriver aside and plugged a port in Metal's hard drive. He intended to just copy Metal in to a floppy disc and build a new body. After typing a series of keys and trying to open a file marked 'fighting techniques' he got an 'Access Denied' sign.

"What? That's impossible! There wasn't even a password window!" He tried to open another file marked 'engine function', but once again 'Access was denied'.

"This is insane". Tails gritted his teeth. Every file he tried to open was locked in the same way.

"Eggman couldn't have been dumb enough to have done this…unless he has some really secret way to get in. He must really think Metal has a chance to defeat Sonic" Tails mused. He got to the last two files and raised an eye brow in confusion. One said 'Favorite Music' and the other said 'Free Will log'.

He clicked on 'Free Will log" first. 'Access Denied' appeared. Tails sighed and was about to give up when 'Denied' slowly back spaced. Then the word 'Approved' appeared in its place.

Tails was flabbergasted. There was no way that could have just happened. Unless…

The first entry was cryptic in a way, since Tails didn't know of Metal's thought process, but it described how he thought others looked at him, how Dr. Eggman confused him, how Sonic gave him emotions, and of how a flower changed the way he viewed the world. The next entry told of how he was still trapped with Eggman due to a self-destruct button that he kept handy since Metal's first rebellion.

Slowly, Tails eyes widened as he read each entry after that. They each described in detail of things that Metal had seen in a new way with each day he spent with Eggman. One in particular told of how he watched Eggman eat a large turkey dinner and how he would have drooled if he had a mouth. Tails could tell Eggman didn't write this, it was in to well a detail.

A few entries were like a story as they were about how Metal faked being a mindless droid while working with Shadow the Hedgehog in order to stop the incarnation of the Arabian god of fire, Ifrit.

Then Tails reached an entry dated one month before. Apparently, Metal had been tinkering with the bomb and tracking device inside himself and had gotten them out and escaped Eggman's base. The next one described his idea of how to become real. "Metal, you might be a super computer, but if you thought Knuckles was going to help you, you're as dumb as he is." Tails laughed at his own joke. The next one was three days ago.

"I should be 'dead' by all accounts, as the Master Emerald guardian has pummeled me to no end today. It seems that trust is something I overlooked when I thought a hero would help me. It seems that my bad reputation needs to be deemed good if I want to be trusted by the heroes.

Despite Knuckles almost tearing me limb from limb, I managed to reach the Master Emerald. It gave me a cryptic answer, telling me to walk 'till I could walk no more. And so I have done. I now stand at the edge of Angel Island, and am about to fall in to the ocean. I am going to set myself to hibernation mode in hopes that the ocean doesn't take me prisoner. I also hope someone kind finds me and can fix me.

-Metal"

That was the last entry. Tails turned and looked at Metal. Tails smiled at the thought of Metal changing on his own. After what Amy Rose, a pink hedgehog who was nuts over Sonic, told him about E-102, Tails thought all robots deserved a chance, since they were never given one to begin with.

With new found vigor, Tails began working on Metal late in to the night. He figured that if he couldn't pull out Metal's 'brain' from his body, he would have to make a body around his 'brain'.

-break-

Metal was flying. Except it wasn't Metal. It was a cream purple hedgehog with three spikes coming out of his head with black gloves and shoes. Since this was a dream, or at least a robotic delusion, Metal couldn't make out all the details. But he could make out just enough to see seven different colors of light floating around him.

Metal felt peace that he had never felt before. A smile was on his lips as he flew over the rock bed below him. He moved his arms and legs in a sort of dance and the lights joined him. Being alive was just as he imagined it would be.

Then, the world shook. Clouds in the sky faded to oblivion, as did the sky soon after. The ground below melted away, as did Metal's fur. He tried to scream, scream for the help he knew he wouldn't get, but was unable to in his moment of fear. Slowly, his fur oozed off of him into the void below, and revealed what he was. Metal Sonic, thing of evil, stared at his metallic claws and tried his best to cry, to prove to himself that he was more than a cold machine.

Those tears never came.

The seven lights each dimmed to a gray and floated ten yards away from him. A dark blue hedgehog shaped being was now in the center of the circling lights. The ominous being raised his hands and laughed an eerily familiar laugh.

Metal managed to choke out one word. "Why?"

The dark one stared with eyes full of rage. But they were also filled with a smug joy.

"Because I can" the being said, and charged at Metal at metal with a speed no one could match.

No one…except…

-break-

"Rebooting in process"

'What...' Metal thought as he read the inside of his screen. Slowly, his vision returned as he was 'waking up'. A large metal ceiling came into view. Metal proclaimed, "Ocean floor not detected." He inwardly gasped at his own voice. It was now more monotonous than before. It had a higher pitch and echoed inside his cranium. He tried moving his arm. As slowly as an old fashion robot, a silver-metal arm came into view. The arm was two pieces of metal joined together by a hinge. Where a hand should have been there was a dull two part claw. No fancy technology, no weapons of destruction, and barley enough strength to choke someone. Obviously, someone had saved him.

Out of habit, he tried to read his internal clock. That, along with several other handy functions, had been removed or damaged be on repair. Slowly, he got up from the metal work bench to look around.

Moving like an old robot didn't get him looking very fast. It took him eight seconds to get off of that bench. The first thing he saw, however, caused to do a quick double take.

A two-tailed fox was sleeping near a computer and generator. The computer read 'charge complete'. Slowly Metal started walking towards the fox he recognized as Miles 'Tails' Prower. At one point, he felt the tug of a wire being pulled out. An unfinished mug of coffee was right next to his head. Metal moved the mug as to prevent a mess and a short circuit. Finding a hand made quilt near the floor Metal had guessed it got cold here. Wherever here was.

Metal picked up the blanket and wrapped it around his savior. Looking around, Metal concluded that this was the workshop in which Tails worked. He saw the famous tornado 2 and several unfinished projects lying around. He even saw bits of his old armor.

Since tails was still asleep, Metal decided to explore. He began walking up the stairs into Tails home. Hopefully, he would find a mirror.

Tails awoke surprisingly warm. After opening his eyes, Tails found the quilt that his friend Vanilla the Rabbit had made for him around him and his chair. He looked at it and gave a large yawn. He stood up and stretched his back. Tails turned around to check on Metal. Then Tails was wide awake.

Metal was gone.

Tails quietly walked up a small flight of stairs to enter his living room. Tails hated to admit it, but he was scarred out of his mind. Who knows what that psychotic robot could be capable of?

After opening the door, Tails took a good look around. No sign of a crazed robot. The more Tails thought about it, the dumber he felt. Why did he give life to a robot that has tried to destroy him on more than one occasion? Just because of a diary that might have been forged? Sonic would have a field day after Tails' butt was saved.

Then Tails heard three squeaks and the sound of running water. What would Metal need water for? Then Tails heard three more squeaks and the water shutting off. Five mechanical clanks came soon after. The sounds were coming from the kitchen. 'Oh no' Tails thought. 'That's where I put…'

Tails burst into his kitchen, yelling and ready to fight. What he saw froze him in his tracks.

Metal was holding a watering can and watering an elegant rose that grew in the windowsill. Metal looked up and said as simple a sentence as he could muster with his new voice. "The dirt was dry."

-Author's note-

Another hilariously cheesy chapter. Still, I like it as is. My writing style looks dull when I read this. Not quite non-descriptive, just… a bit more grey then my style is now.

And the flower is a reference, of course, to Sonic X. Don't let that defer you, please. In actuality the Sonic X continuity only affects this story as far as Metal and Tails are concerned. I wasn't even really thinking about how it would workout in the long run, but I felt the flower gave Tails some motivation he wouldn't have otherwise. Glad I did it, I'm just sorry I didn't better work it in.

The Conflicted Writer


	3. Getting Out

**Getting Out**

Tails and Metal stood staring at each other for ten seconds. At that point, Metal slowly tilted the watering can away from the rose and placed it on the countertop. Metal then started walking towards Tails. Tails took a step back, still afraid of the being that stood before him, even in his weakened state. Metal raised his right claw and held it half way up. Tails stared at the claw and Metal worryingly. Metal, despite lacking real facial features, gave off an air of expectancy.

Tails then gave a small gasp when he realized what Metal wanted. Metal tilted his head slightly as if asking if it was all right. Slower than Metal, Tails raised his gloved hand towards the claw. Tails gently clasped it. Metal and Tails slowly lifted their hands up and down. They just shook hands for the first time.

They let their arms fall back to their sides. There was an awkward silence between them for a few moments.

"Your rose is beautiful" Metal said trying to break the silence.

"Uh? Oh yeah. A friend of mine…" Tails face turned solemn, "Gave it to me."

Metal saw the slight pain in Tails eyes but decided to leave it. "Let us converse in you living quarters." Metal mentally cursed at his limited language capabilities. "You shall be more comfortable sitting down. First though, may I see some reflective material? I wish to see my new exoskeleton."

Tails nodded, motioning for Metal to follow. Tails led Metal to the nearby bathroom. It wasn't a full length mirror, but Metal could see enough. His head quills were even shorter than before. Bits and pieces stood out because the metal was not all one piece like before. His eyes now had completely orange irises. His torso was pretty much a pole with leg and arms coming out of it. All in all, Metal thought he looked like a Silver Sonic rip-off.

"I'm sorry" Tails said while looking into the mirror. "Your hard drive is too complex for me to remove. The only thing I could do to save you was to build the body around the hard drive."

Metal understood that unless the hard drive is built into the machine, it is not completely compatible. Since this was not the tech he was used to, it was like he was controlling a suit instead of a body.

"Situation understood" Metal started walking to the living room. Once there, Metal and Tails sat on the couch without looking at each other. At first, both were reluctant to talk.

Finally, Tails said, "I read your journal. I'm sorry about the way everyone treats you."

Metal, without turning his head, said "I know what I did in the past, but that happened so long ago… I've changed; I just need the opportunity to prove it."

Tails shook his head slightly. "It's not as easy as telling everyone that you've changed, Metal. The past might be in the past, but it left, figuratively, scars on us. Everyone, good or bad, knows you as a cold, heartless death vehicle. Those mental images of you trying to… do us in will never leave our minds, even if we do believe you've changed."

Metal still didn't move his head. "You talk about the others giving me a chance. Do you speak truthfully of them?"

Tails closed his eyes and put a hand on his chin in thought. He then exhaled. "I don't know. I mean… could you give me a reason to trust you?"

This time, Metal turned his head towards Tails. He tilted his head back and to the left. "When have I ever deceived you?"

It took a minute for Tails to translate that to "Have I ever lied to you?" When he did, three things occurred to Tails. First, the way Metal tilted his head was a show of smugness. One more piece of proof that Metal had changed from the soullessness that he had been. Second, Metal never had actually lied to him and so had made a well enough point. Third, that was an attempt at humor.

Tails smiled. "Alright. Point well made. Tell them that and maybe they'll listen to you." Tails frowned again. "Though I have a bit of bad news for you…" Metal tilted his head straight. "You no longer have the propulsion engine to generate your own energy. You have to be recharged now and then. The most you can go without plugging in is a day."

Metal took this in a painful way. There was no way he could become alive like this. It was obvious that on the journey he new he would have to take, there would be few times there would be a large amount of energy for him to absorb.

Then Metal stood up. "That is for the best." Metal got on his right knee in front of Tails. "I owe my life to you."

"What?" said Tails.

"My life is sworn to you. Were it not for your technical skills, I would not be running. You are my new master."

Tails scratched his head and said "Stand up please."

Metal stood.

"I can live with that under one condition."

Metal bowed his head. "Yes master."

Tails smiled. "Don't call me master. Don't even call me Miles. That name is reserved for non-acquaintances. My friends call me Tails." Tails was the first to stick out his hand this time.

Metal would have started crying, but settled for saying, "Yes Tails" and shook hands once again.

The next two weeks were uneventful in the eyes of an adventurer. But to Tails and Metal, it was a learning experience of the greatest kind. Metal slowly learned about Tails and how people have different personalities. Unlike Sonic, Tails was timid and did not leave his house. Metal thought he was like a hermit from a story. From what Metal had read in fiction stories in his free time, hermits usually had something horrible happen to them. And thanks to Metal's robotic nature, he could tell it had something to do with that rose in the kitchen and the person who gave it to him.

Tails learned that Metal was different yet similar to his hedgehog counterpart. Like Sonic, he was laid back, but not in the cocky way Sonic was. Metal also liked to explore the general area. Unlike Sonic's explorations, Metal starred at things for long periods of time. Tails one time found Metal sitting (to the best of his ability) and covered in grasshoppers because they thought Metal was a statue. The T.V. intrigued Metal to no end, from cartoon shows to the news. Every night whilst Tails went to bed, he could here soft music coming from the garage. Apparently Metal liked to lull himself to de-activation.

Metal also tried his best to earn his keep in Tails home. He cleaned every square inch of the house, including hard to reach places. He always asked if there was someway he could help with anything. Despite his currently limited capabilities, he did everything he could do to thank his first friend.

Tails finally had a reason to leave his house; he was out of things to eat. Metal begged and begged to go with him. Tails was reluctant for so many reasons, but he needed only one to counteract them. If Metal never got the chance to prove that he changed, no one would have a reason to trust him.

The train ride to Station Square was fascinating to Metal. As it was his first ride in a train, he took in every detail. Luckily no one else was in the car he and Tails were in, otherwise they would have been freaked out by the wondering robot.

"Now Metal," said tails as they walked off the train, "I want you to be on your best behavior. Don't say anything to anyone unless I tell you to. Don't wander off to look at anything. I want to make this trip as short as possible."

Metal inwardly sighed. "Yes Tails. I shall be a good boy." Tails let out a small chuckle.

As they walked to the nearest market, people stared at Metal. The strange looks made Metal uncomfortable. "Why do they stare at me so?" he asked.

"They're wary of robots" Tails said. "They haven't had the best experiences with robots. Just stay with me and they'll think you're one of my mechs."

Metal carried two bags in his claws as they walked out of the store. Tails, Metal noticed, barely said a word to anyone that came up to him to recognize the hero some said he was. They were ten yards away from the station when…

"Hey Tails!"

Metal saw Tails perk up ever so slightly at the sound of that voice. That voice just so happened to inflict many emotions on Metal as well; most of them hate.

The blue wonder, the hero to end heroes, the fastest thing alive, came to a screeching halt in front of Tails and Metal.

"Sonic! It's been to long" Tails exclaimed.

"Yeah, I know" Sonic said, "Listen, I was running through town when…" Sonic then noticed Metal. Sonic took on a more serious look. "What's this thing?"

'Thing?' Metal thought.

"This…" said Tails. 'Crap' he thought. 'I didn't think up a cover story.'

Sonic put a hand on his chin. "Are you trying to make your own series of robots?"

"Yeah" said Tails. "Eggman is getting pretty tough lately. I decided to counteract him with my own mechs." 'Saved my butt there.' "But he's only a prototype. Not anything special…Yet.

"Well in that case" Sonic said as he stuck out his right hand, "Put her there."

'Alright Metal' Tails thought, 'This is your chance to show me that you've changed.'

Metal thought about it long and hard (in the span of three seconds). Metal had enough strength to choke him. Sonic would be too surprised to fight back in time. Metal could kill Sonic, right here, right now.

Slowly, Metal sat down a bag and lifted his hand to Sonic's.

"Greetings hedgehog unit. I am mech 1, prototype fighting machine designed by Tails the Fox" said Metal. Tails let out a sigh.

"Nice to meet you mech" Sonic then turned his attention back to Tails. "Anyway, I was running down the street when I spotted this." Sonic pulled out the blue Chaos Emerald.

"No way!" exclaimed Tails. "It was just lying on the sidewalk!"

"I know, right? What do you make of it?"

Tails scratched his head. "… There's nothing I can say about it"

"Oh well" said Sonic. "Free kill for us. Hey, is the one you have still safe?"

"Yeah" said Tails.

"Great. Sorry, I gotta run. I'll come by tomorrow." And with that, the speedy thing ran off.

Tails sighed, "My conversations with him get shorter and shorter." He then turned to Metal and smiled. "I'm proud of you Metal. I know that you had many conflicting emotions right there. But that's a good thing. To have conflicting emotions and choose the right ones is something that all living beings have in common." Tails put a hand on Metal's shoulder.

But Metal was silent. He was silent on the train. He was silent on the walk back to Tails house. He was silent late into the night, holding the rose.

Finally, when Tails was heading to bed, Metal spoke.

"Tails?" he asked.

"Yes?"

Metal paused. "The person that gave you this flower… was this person a she?"

Tails turned solemn. "Yes…"

"Did you love this person?"

Tears started to form in Tails' eyes. "Yes…"

"Did she… die?"

The tears started to flow. A very soft "Yes" could be herd in between sobs.

"Would you like to bring her back?"

At this, Tails suddenly jolted to stare at Metal. "What do you mean?"

Various recordings started to play from Metal. "They say a miracle happens" "They turn thoughts into power" "Chaos is power, power is enriched by the heart"

"Think about it" Metal said. "With the power of the Seven Chaos Emeralds, we could make our wishes come true. I could have the breath I want desperately, and you could find love."

"I…I…" Tails then ran out of the room. Metal slumped his head forward. He had figured he was too abrupt and sudden with his request. Metal started to head for the garage. Suddenly, Tails rushed back into the room holding out the yellow Chaos Emerald.

"I want to-to go…with you… to wherever this takes you. I will help you if you help me… will you?"

Metal moved his arm towards the emerald, veered it and made it clasp Tails shoulder. "I accept this emerald with a promise. I will not rest until you have love in your life. When you have someone to love, I will know I have done you right." And with that, Metal took hold of the emerald.

Suddenly, Metal fizzed and sputtered, but miraculously held the emerald. His eyes lit up completely. To Tails, it looked like he was having a power surge. But Metal had a completely different experience.

Images raced through Metals head. There was an underground laboratory, a man with a mustache to rival Eggman's, a machine hooked up to the emeralds…

As suddenly as it started, it ended. Metal stared into space for a minute before saying "Wow."

"Metal?" asked Tails in slight fear.

"I saw… a professor… he looked like he knew… secrets of biology."

"What does that mean?"

Metal slowly shook his head. "It does not matter. Can you make the emerald my power source?"

"Yeah" Tails said.

"Would you mind doing so by tomorrow?"

"No" said Tails with a determined voice.

"Good. I will need a new body to hunt the emeralds. To get that we will need to take a trip to the city."

"For what?" tails asked.

"We need help… and fortunately, I now someone who never turns down work that pays…"

-Author's Note-

Not much to say on this, surprisingly. Just the story moving along.

The Conflicted Writer


	4. The Road Trip Begins

**The Road Trip Begins**

It took all night, but Tails had made the Chaos Emerald Metal's battery. Whilst Tails took a three our nap, Metal started to pack provisions; food and water for Tails, back up parts for himself. He made three calls (by plugging into the phone), one to Cream the Rabbit to take care of Tails special rose, one to the people they intended to meet, and a call to the train station in order to book a ride to West City. (I made that up myself. Not very original, I know.)

Tails thought long and hard before walking out the door with that robot. Many reasons to not go ran through his head. That thing could kill him, his friends would never believe that Metal had changed, or he would probably become a vigilante because he would have to most likely steal an emerald were just three of them.

Many reasons to go ran through his head. He felt he had no meaning in life, his friends had practically deserted him, and Metal needed help were just three of the reasons.

But, in truth, none of that mattered. Tails judgment was clouded-or perhaps made perfect-by the two desires of love and friendship. They had talked and conversed, and it seemed that Metal understood better than most what it was like to be considered a freak. They had intellectual conversations, and Tails was never asked what certain words meant only why living creatures acted particular ways. While Metal had meant to pay back Tails for his kindness, Tails weakness of lack of understanding was used and Tails felt he had become indebted to Metal for his kindness.

And of course, Tails wanted to see her again…

They took one last look at the beautiful land of Mystic Ruins that Tails owned. The sky was cloudy and gray, though not gray enough to rain. Before they left, Metal asked Tails to take a picture of this place for a scrap book he would like to make.

"So, what's the plan Metal?" asked Tails when they reached the station. No one was there and a train was just pulling in.

"We will head to West City in order to meet The Chaotix. They will escort us to a near by abandoned base of Eggman's. Once there, we will have sufficient material to redesign myself. Then, I will ask them to escort us to the other emeralds." Metal clanged his claws together excitedly.

"I don't suppose you told them who you are?"

The happy clanging stopped. "I told them that you were coming with a robot guard. When the first task is over, I intend to reveal myself as Metal to them."

Tails gave Metal a worried look. "Are you sure you want to do that? They might freak when they find out you're the rouge robot that tried to kill them… twice." (If you don't know what Tails is talking about, refer to 'Knuckles' Chaotix' and 'Sonic Heroes'.)

"They never turn down work that pays… I want them to know who they are working for. They deserve that right."

"Who deservers what now?" Metal and Tails were too interested in their discussion to notice that Sonic had walked off of the train.

"S-Sonic?" Tails asked. "What are you doing here?"

"Well like I said yesterday, I came over to spend the day with you. The last thing I expected to find was Metal Sonic!" Sonic then pointed accusingly at Tails. "Or finding out that my _best friend_ fixed him and lied to me about it."

Tails was shocked. Sonic had never given Tails such an angry look before. Tails let his head fall feeling at fault for this mess.

Metal stood in front of Tails as if to defend him. "It is not his fault" he said. "He was merely trying to-", at this, Metal was socked in the face. His body screeched across the floor seven feet away.

"Tails" said Sonic, "How could you? He's robot enemy number one! Why didn't you tell me?"

"I-"

"He could be trying to hurt us! You could have been holding on to a ticking time bomb and not even realize it!"

"Sonic-"

"Did he blackmail you?"

"Please-"

"Why would you do this?"

Tails suddenly screamed, "That's why!"

Sonic was taken back by this.

Tears were welling up in Tails eyes now. "You and I haven't talked in so long… you don't even know that I'm in pain. And when we do talk, you move so fast that I can't get a word in. Metal's been kind to me, trying to be a friend. It may be hard to tell, but he knows what it's like to be a freak! He listens and responds to me about more than what Eggman is up to or what the latest in footwear is!"

"He! How could you talk about that thing like that!" Tails was at a loss for words. Sonic did not even hear what Tails had said.

By this time, Metal had gotten back up from his assault. He saw Sonic and Tails yelling at each other and had a feeling. Metal was surprised to find that this emotion was not the anger that he had grown so accustomed to feeling when he saw the hedgehog. It was warm, comforting, and something that he had felt only once before. He had felt excitement, became well known to sadness, and even understood peace. But only once had he ever had a reason to feel this.

Metal was happy.

He had a friend. A friend that was standing up for him. Tails might have been yelling and skewering it, but Metal had heard Tails ultimately say Metal was a good friend.

Metal had little time to celebrate, as Sonic was on top of him not three seconds after getting up. "You" said Sonic, "just won't go away. There's only one Sonic the Hedgehog, and that's me!" Sonic raised a hand like a claw and aimed for Metal's head. Metal turned off his optical sensors expecting it all to end.

'So,' Metal thought, 'this is where it ends. My adventure's over before it begins. I tried. I made a friend. I at least had a taste of life. That's more than this robot deserves'

'That's good thinking' said a voice in Metal's head that he did not recognize. This voice was powerful and commanding, yet soft and understanding. The words were more thought than said. Though Metal was not the one thinking this, he could not help but feel it was familiar.

It did not matter. Metal was done for anyway. 'Hmm,' Metal thought. 'My main processor is still running. I'm not obliterated. I wonder why?'

Metal turned back on his sensors and saw that Tails had latched to Sonic's back and was holding his arms in place.

"Run!" said Tails. "I'll hold him off! Get on the train with the emerald!"

"What!" Sonic screamed struggling in Tails surprisingly strong grip. "You gave him the emerald too! I'm gonna get you for this Tails!"

Metal got up and stood there for a moment. Tails was risking his friendship with Sonic, maybe even his life, for Metal. He almost couldn't comprehend what was happening.

"What are you doing? Go on without me!"

Metal started walking towards the struggling pair in an almost determined fashion. "I am sorry Tails. I made a promise I intend to keep." Sonic was the one to close his eyes, as it appeared Metal was coming in for the kill. Sonic was surprised to still be untouched five seconds later. "Run Tails" he heard Metal say. Sonic opened his eyes and saw Metal and Tails running (or fast paced walking) for the train.

"Hey! Get back here you-" Sonic started to say, but was cut short when he face planted the concrete. He looked at his feet to see them cuffed together with claws. He looked back towards Metal to see that his claws were gone. "Come back here you walking junk yard!"

Tails ran ahead into the train while Metal stopped and turned around. Sonic could swear Metal had a smug look on his face while he said, "Invalid name and command." Then he got aboard. Sonic started clawing his way to the train. Just as he was about to get his hand inside, the door slammed shut and the train started moving.

Sonic punched the ground and cried after the train, "I'll get you eventually! You can't outrun the fastest thing alive!"

Metal and Tails took a seat in a booth marked 17. They sat opposite each other and stared at each other, both unwilling to speak. This silence continued for ten minutes, during which time Tails replaced Metals hands. Then Metal got a conversation starter of bizarre proportions.

"What is so fragile, just saying its name breaks it?"

Tails blinked in surprise. "What?"

"It is a riddle. What is so fragile, just saying its name breaks it?"

Tails sat back down and placed a hand on his chin in thought. "Hmm… Will it break if I touch it?"

"Negative"

Tails closed his eyes. "Let's see… Will it break if… I touch something near it?"

"Possibly"

Tails opened his eyes and scratched his head. "Uh… Gee… I don't know… Will it break if I clap my hands?"

"Affirmative"

Tails squinted his eyes in frustration. "Is this object real?"

"Affirmative"

Tails let out a sigh. "All right, I give up. What is it?"

"Silence"

Tails gave a small gasp.

"Silence is broken whenever a sound is made. Even speaking the word breaks it"

Tails stared at Metal for a moment, and then gave a small chuckle. "Wow, did you think of that yourself?"

"Affirmative" Then Metal put out his claw. "Thank you"

Tails gave a questioning look to Metal. "For What?"

Metal stood still, save for the occasional bump the train made. "For being my friend. You defended me and saved my life again. I double owe you now."

Tails grinned and shook hands with Metal. "Hey, like I said, you've been my friend. You were there when no one else was. You already paid me back for the first life saving with that." Tails took on his solemn look when they put their hand and claw down.

Metal easily noticed. "What is the problem?"

Tails looked as if he was about to cry. "It's just… I wish there was some way I knew for sure what you say is true… I wish I knew that you are more than a machine and that you understand me…"

Metal sat back. He just had to find the right one… Bingo.

Suddenly Tails could hear a strange Arabian horn coming from Metal. It was relaxing, yet very depressing at the same time. Then, words started to come.

"_Time, Alone we bide our time_

_Never will we know, if our love is true…_

_At night, I sleep and dream of you_

_Only to awake, in my empty room"_

Tails stared, mouth agape, at Metal, and could swear Metal looked like he felt sorry for Tails.

"_You give me power_

_You give me reason_

_So will you love me?_

_Time only knows_

_Time only knows"_

Metal stopped playing the song.

"Please" said Tails, rotating his hand to emphasize. "Keep playing."

"It is the same verses over again" said Metal, though he really meant, "Isn't this depressing you?"

Tails gave a sad smile. "The music is nice and slow. This artist has a nice singing voice. Please…" Tails really meant "Yes, but I don't care right now."

And so Metal restarted the song. As the song continued, Tails eyes started to droop being tired still after working on Metal all night. Metal got lost in the song himself and started to space out. His head turned to look out the window at the passing scenery. The lush green pine trees sped by and Metal day dreamed of jumping from tree to tree while racing Tails to his workshop to build the latest in CPU technology. Then Metal saw something that snapped him to full consciousness.

Jumping from tree to tree following the train was a liquid blob of blue. It had a pointed head with large green eyes and what could be mistaken as two dreadlocks. It had large forearms with giant three fingered hands. It shins were the same except with two toes. It was a shape Metal recognized all to well and since gaining feelings had hoped never to see again. For, Metal believed, this creature wanted vengeance for the misuse of its power.

"Tails" Metal said, scared out of his mind. Tails was laying down curled up asleep sucking on the tips of his tails. Metal looked back outside expecting to see the creature lunging at the window. However, it was gone. Metal stared in every direction and could not find the creature. Had he imagined it? In his spaced out state, did he lose control of his thoughts for a moment?

Metal sat back and relaxed. It was probably the light playing tricks on him. The creature was locked away in its nice home at Angel Island.

Metal reached into their bag and pulled out the waterproof camera they brought. There was no way he was going to let such a cute picture of Tails slip through his claws.

-break-

Vector was sweating up a storm. Very rarely did the large crocodile run into such a challenge. This was decided entirely by fate. His opponent gave a stone stare, though Vector could see the insane happiness in his eyes.

Vector gritted his teeth in a scowl. Might as well get it over with. He raised his fist in the air and brought it down releasing what was inside.

"Nooooooooo" Vector screamed.

"Yes" Espio the Chameleon stated. "That will be 3000$."

Vector grabbed his head in frustration. "No fair! I demand a re-roll!"

Charmy the Bee looked annoyed. "No way! You already had three!"

"Come on Vector. You landed on my hotel powered Broadway. Pay up." Espio said while twirling a star shaped weapon.

Vector gave Espio the stink eye. "You've been using your freaky ninja powers, haven't you?"

Espio stood up looking irritated. "Ninjas don't cheat…"

Vector grinned evilly. "Well, maybe you're not a real ninja!"

Espio looked royally pissed, for lack of a better term. "Are you questioning my honor?"

"Nah, I'm questioning your hygiene."

Espio turned red. "That's it!" He jumped at Vector and started their weekly brawl. Charmy then cried "Yay! Fight time! Fight time!" and joined in. They started rolling on the floor, bumping various objects in their small office, including the table and spilling Monopoly pieces everywhere. Vector landed on the metal game pieces and cried in pain. Right jab. Eye poke. Sting! Bubble gum flying all over the place.

Then they herd a knock at the door. "Come in" Vector cried.

Tails and Metal walked in, Tails with a confused look on his face. Vector was sitting in his chair behind his desk, Espio was standing in a corner meditating, and Charmy was buzzing around with an oversized grin on his face.

"Hey guys" Tails said. "I thought I herd a fight going in here."

Vector grinned. "Nah, we were just sitting around, waiting around for you and your robot to show up."

"Yeah" said Charmy. "Vector didn't start a fight because he became bankrupt in a game of Monopo-mff" Vector quickly placed a hand over the talkative insect's mouth.

"Don't listen to him. He can be a honey nut sometimes. Anyway it's nice to see you again, Tails."

Tails shook hands with Vector and said, "Likewise." Tails then got more serious. "Did you have a lead as to the location of an Eggman base?"

"Even better. We found one not to far from here. Espio, get the map."

Espio opened his eyes, "I don't have the map."

Vector gave Espio a stare. "What?"

"Charmy had it last."

Vector turned to Charmy who was flying around Metal, fascinated the 'ultra cool' robot Tails had brought with him.

"Hey, are you the one that called? Did Tails make you? Do you have any cool blasters that shoot stuff? Are you gonna come with us? Will you-" Charmy, once again, was stopped by Vector's hand.

"Charmy, where the heck is the map?"

Charmy scratched his head then pointed to an empty corner of the room. "It was on the ground over there."

"Well, it's not there now!"

Metal finally spoke up. "Excuse Me."

Vector turned to Metal, unaware of what he was really talking to. "Yes?"

Metal pointed his claw at Vector. "Is that it on your backside?"

Vector turned his head to stare at his back and, of course, there was a large piece of not so neatly paper. "Oh, there it is!" Vector released Charmy and reached for it. But it was stuck. Vector grabbed the map with both hands and started to pull. He grunted and struggled for a while.

"Uh, need any help?" Tails offered.

"No-hmpf-I got this." Vector clenched his teeth and out of instinct ran forward. Since it was a small office it took him less than half a second to hit his head against the wall. A boom box fell off a shelf and landed on his head. Vector stifled a "ouch" and held up his prize. Tails, despite his worrying nature, couldn't help but snicker at the comic scene. Metal, on the inside, was having an emotional experience with humor and was laughing his head off.

Vector walked over to his desk to lay out the map. Upon trying to set it down, he realized that it was stuck to his hand.

Espio stepped forward. "Hold on" he said. "Let me get it or you'll tear it." Espio pulled out a weapon from nowhere and cut the gum that was stuck to the map.

While Vector tried to get the rest of the gum off his hand, Espio began to explain there route. "The base was abandoned by Eggman two years ago. It is hidden in the last place anyone would think to look for him. A car parts factory."

"Are you serious?" asked Tails in disbelief.

"Quite. Eggman just left it there and no one has gone near it. We should have no problem finding whatever it is you're looking for." Espio leaned across the table. "Incidentally, what are you looking for?"

"Oh no" said Vector walking over, trying to get the pink substance off both his hands now. "We don't ask questions. We just do what we're told and get paid."

"It's alright" said Tails. "We need spare parts to give my friend here an upgrade. Afterwards, if all goes well, we'll have another job for you."

Charmy then got in all their faces and shouted, "What are we waiting for? Let's get going!" Metal inwardly smiled. Even as a demented robot, he thought these guys were hilarious.

Time Only Knows copyright "The Prince of Persia"

-Author's note-

God, looking back I almost want to puke. I love and hate what I did. If I wasn't such a n00b with Sonic the Hedgehog at the time, I would have written this better.

The thing is, at the time I wrote this. I didn't actually know what the Mystic Ruins were. All I knew was that Tails lived there and that trains were the main form of transportation. Hilariously, I actually played all the Sonic games backwards. My first was SA2B, then Sonic Heroes, then all the 16-bit Sonic games in reverse Starting with Sonic 3 and Knuckles, then I played them as they came out afterwards. If I hadn't, this would have turned out differently. How differently? I'm not quite sure.

The Conflicted Writer


	5. Metal vs Metal round 1

**Metal vs. Metal: Old Fashioned Metal**

It slept. It did not know how long. It didn't _know_ anything. It just did. Did what? Did what it was supposed to do. It was left alone for this reason. Do not feel sorry for it. It never was a real thing. Some things just had more misfortune than others. It did not feel rage for this. It simply did what it did. Destroy, destroy, destroy…

-break-

Vector punched and punched at a garage type door until he broke a hole through it. He smiled and walked through. "This'll be our easiest job yet."

"Don't get cocky" Espio said walking in. "It may be abandoned, but we don't know why. For all we know, there's a lunatic robot like Metal Sonic in here."

Charmy flew in. "But here is lame. Where's the robots? Where's the fun?"

Metal and Tails walked in. "Like Espio said, this place is abandoned, and our mission isn't exactly a G.U.N. top priority case" Tails said.

Metal looked around. He had never been here before. This place must have existed before Metal was created. But this place didn't even register in his past files of bases. Like Espio said, this place was abandoned for a reason.

Now, really thinking about it, there was nothing suspicious about this place at all. It was the size of a large warehouse. The walls were cracked and decaying with age. There were rusted giant mechanical arms to put together the cars. There were old rusting car frames on the broken conveyor belts. A desk with a small computer sat in a far corner. This could be difficult.

Vector clapped his hands together. "All right boys. Start putting those detective skills to work. Check the floor for secret entries, check the walls for hidden buttons, and look for anything suspicious." Thus the Chaotix began to search. Espio and Charmy were on the ceiling while Vector started to feel the walls. Tails was checking the only computer in the facility. That left Metal with nothing to do but think and contemplate on past events and what he would do when Sonic showed up.

He would have to get that emerald from him eventually. Would Metal fight? Would Metal run? And what if Metal did fight? Would Tails help him against his best friend? Would anyone get caught in the crossfire? Would Metal have to, perish the thought, kill Sonic the Hedgehog?

Metal started to look around again, disturbed by the inner conflict he was having with himself. Taking another look around, he noticed that many of the cars had dents. Head shaped dents. Someone-or something-didn't enjoy being here. Metal walked over to an old bug and noticed many screws on the floor. Then he saw something underneath it.

Vector walked over to the car Metal was inspecting. "Did you find something?"

Metal put his claws under the car and started to lift. "Please help me turn over this vehicle." Vector gripped the car with one hand and flipped it over.

"Whoa" said Vector. "Hey, Tails! You might want to see this." Tails walked over and gasped at what he saw.

There was a robot hornet. It was blue plated with black stripes. The stinger was torn off and it was badly damaged, but there was no mistaking an old fashioned badnik.

"Wow" said Tails. "I haven't seen one of these in ages." He picked up a broken arm and inspected it."

Espio called from the corner, "We just found more!" Espio brought over a recycle bin full of trashed robot parts.

"Hey, look up here!" Charmy cried from the ceiling hovering next to a mechanical arm. A second glance at them revealed parts of badniks ready to be assembled.

Metal stared at the ingeniously hidden hideout in a new light. This was one of The Doctor's better ideas. But still, why was so much work left behind? If it was something really dangerous, there would more than likely be more damage than this.

Tails looked around as well, though with a mechanics eye. He began looking through the bin of busted bots inspecting certain pieces. "With this… Yeah, I could… This is perfect." Tails suddenly was full of the energy he gets when he was about to create something. He quickly ran over to the computer, got a piece of paper, and scribbled a list of things and held it out to Vector. "Go to whatever store and get this stuff."

Charmy grabbed the list before Vector could and flew out the door. "Yay, the store! I wanna go to the game department!"

Vector chased after him. "Come back you spaz bee!"

Espio walked up to Tails. "Anything I can help with?"

Tails didn't look up from the schematics he was working on. "Unless you know physics and Newton's laws, go with them." Espio was surprised by Tails bluntness. He quickly ran out after the rest of his team.

Metal watched as Tails typed at the computer. Metal inwardly (of course) gasped at the simple yet sophisticated design that Tails was making. "Can you really create that with these materials?"

With a cocky grin to rival Metal's rival, Tails said, "Are you going to plug in and help me or what?"

Metal stood still. "You want me to help?"

"Of course. It is your body we're working on. I wouldn't want someone screwing with my internal workings without me having a say in it."

Metal pulled a plug from his back, thankful that Eggman was ahead of his time. "Thank you Tails." Thus, Metal and Tails bonded on the mechanical inventing scale.

The Chaotix, however, were bonding like they normally did; throwing insults at each other.

"Honey nut."

"Purse to be"

"Fly impersonator."

"Lizard lips"

Vector laughed. "Lizard lips? Is that the best you can come up with? Face it Charmy. In a battle of wits, I always win."

Espio suddenly stopped and put his hand in front of his teammates. "Losersayswhat."

"What?" shouted Vector.

"Loser" said Espio and started walking leaving an agitated Vector to fume.

"Wasn't that robot cool Espio?" said Charmy. "I bet Tails is planning to create an army of them and ship them to people like action figures."

"…" Espio closed his eyes as if to contemplate something.

Vector noticed Espio's sudden concentration. "Is something wrong my finely tuned friend?" he asked while picking his non existent ear with his pinky finger.

Espio kept his eyes closed as he spoke. "That robot… I get a strange feeling from it."

"You mean like something bad is going to happen?" sad Vector.

"Not exactly… It's more like a sense of familiarity and uneasiness. I'm not saying something bad is going to happen… but expect something unexpected to happen."

"Expect the unexpected, huh? Sounds like classic ninja nonsense to me."

"Shut up Vector. What's the first thing on the list anyway?"

Vector looked at the list. "The first thing is blue and yellow paint."

-break-

Slowly, a platform used for repairing cars lifted Metal up a few feet. The design was complete and Tails was about to get started. Before Tails could start, Metal had to be shut down so certain parts of his "brain" would not be damaged in the process. Metal had another emotion he rarely felt run through him; fear.

"Tails," said Metal as Tails was about to press a button to shut him off. "If you don't turn me back on, I will understand."

Tails looked at Metal and gave him a hard stare. "That's not going to happen. When you wake up we'll be able to communicate and talk like any other people can. We'll be friends and find the Chaos Emeralds and get our wishes granted."

Again, Metal felt the urge to cry, and again had to settle with, "Yes Tails." Tails pressed a button, and Metal fell into a rather peaceful deactivation.

-break-

Metal Overlord flew threw the air on the wings of a dragon, filled with a white hot rage. Those heroes had the nerve to attack him in his weakened state. And now the greatest source of his rage was charging at him with speed only light could match. Only through the power of Chaos was he able to see the golden hedgehog coming at him. His body could not move as fast as his mind did, so all he could do was watch and wait for the inevitable to happen. The wait was worse than the force of impact could have been. Knowing that he was doomed to fail filled Metal Overlord with fear.

Fear? Fear was not what the most powerful robot in the world was supposed to feel. In fact, robots weren't supposed to feel at all. But he had been angry. How had he not realized that he was angry?

Suddenly he was filled with despair. If he could not kill Sonic, which was his purpose for creation, he had no meaning, he had nothing left.

'Why,' Metal thought. 'Why can't I defeat him? I have no purpose…'

-break-

Tails stared at the masterpiece he had created, feeling proud of himself. And it only took him thirty-six hours.

Metal's new body was complete. Even if you new what Metal looked like before, you would have a hard time telling that it was him. His head no longer had the large forehead it had before. His "eyes" were now shaped to look calm and determined. The quills on his head were thinned and lengthened for aerodynamic purposes with a yellow stripe going down the middle one. The two bottom quills pointed down instead of up. While the top half of his legs and arms were still silver and thin, his shins and fore arms were slightly thick, blue, and teardrop shaped with yellow plates on each side. His feet were red like before with a yellow stripe down the middle. He now had clawless hands on his arms that worked just like living hands. His blue chest was now designed to look tone and slightly muscular. On his chest was a yellow triangle pointing down simply to look cool. The jet engine that rested in his chest and stuck out of his back was the second hardest thing for Tails to put together. But it was small and didn't stand out, so it was worth it. Besides, the Chaos Emerald was a factor that made everything with this creation easier to begin with. Stabilizers and gyros that would have been impossible otherwise would be possible with the strange energy the emeralds gave off. Sitting snug deep within Metal, the yellow Chaos Emerald resonated with power, ready to give Metal every ounce of it.

The Chaotix were sleeping on makeshift beds. Tails didn't want them to be here for this moment anyway. Tails stared at the switch to turn Metal on. It would power up the whole building as well, though it was not the light show that caused Tails to pause. There was still that shred of doubt that Metal was going to be his end. If Metal was still a heartless robot with good acting skills, then Tails just handed it the world on a silver platter.

No, Tails promised to help. He wasn't going to break a promise again.

With determination, Tails gripped the switch and pulled. All the ceiling lights came on, and Metal's body jolted with the jumpstart energy that passed through him. At first, Metal didn't move. Slowly, the fingers started to move and get used to the new areas his mainframe had to process. Then the red eyes started to flick on. Slowly, Metal looked himself over. He tested his body by curling his fingers, moving his arms and legs, and balancing himself on one leg. His movements were so smooth that you could have mistaken him as someone in a suit.

"Metal" said Tails. "How do you feel?" Metal turned his attention to Tails. He had forgotten about Tails for a moment. With small strides, Metal began to walk towards Tails. Tails took a step back, fear shown on his face.

When Metal reached Tails, he fell forward and placed his steel arms around Tails shoulders in a hug. Tails could hardly believe it. Metal was showing affection to Tails in a _hug_. Tails found himself hugging back.

After a minute or so, Metal released Tails and looked him in the eyes. "I've never felt better" he said. Metal gasped, actually made a gasping noise, and put his hand to his face. That voice sounded only slightly synthetic and betrayed how he truly felt. It was a high baritone voice that sounded like a person in their twenties. He stared at Tails again.

Tails smiled. "That was the hardest thing to make. It's only possible thanks to the Chaos Emerald and your super computer of a brain. Now your voice is your own."

Metal hugged Tails once more. "Thank you, Tails. You're… a good friend." Metal's voice cracked like someone's would if they were holding back tears. Once more, they stood there hugging each other for awhile.

Metal got up and walked over to the work bench with all the tools. "There is one last thing this form needs…" Tails walked over as well. What could he have forgotten? "Aha" Metal said suddenly, pulling out white rubber gloves. He pulled them over his robot hands and curled his fingers again. "Perfect."

Suddenly something grey and bulky rocketed past them causing Tails to jump into Metal's arms. They both turned there heads and froze at the thing they saw.

"No way" said Tails.

"Impossible" said Metal.

"Deeeeessssttrrrrroooyyyy" said the ominous voice of Silver Sonic. The bulky Sonic bot fired up its boosters and charged at them with its wheels squeaking like mad. Out of newly achieved reflexes, Metal activated his jet and rose into the air with Tails still in his arms. Silver Sonic crashed into one of the old cars lying around.

The Chaotix quickly roused from their sleep and saw Silver Sonic just in time to dodge a very sharp spin dash. Their makeshift beds were torn to shreds.

Metal noticed that hovering was easier now for him. In fact, he could _feel_ the Chaos Emerald helping him with his movements. He had never felt such a strange energy. It was almost like it was infecting him…

Metal had little time to reflect on his discovery, as The Chaotix were being hunted by Silver Sonic. Espio turned invisible and started throwing shurikens at Silver Sonic, though its armor was too tough. Charmy flew high up away from the action. Vector found himself locked with Silver Sonic, pushing to see if his arms were stronger than its rockets. Vector opened his jaw to take a bite of Silver Sonic. Big mistake. Vector yelled in agony at the breaking of several of his teeth and lost his grip. Silver Sonic rammed Vector into the wall, pulled back a bit, and rammed him again.

Silver Sonic pulled back again, but was held by the iron grip of Metal. Silver Sonic quickly reversed itself trying to push back Metal into something. Metal's jet, however, was stronger and pushed Silver Sonic into a car. Metal kicked Silver Sonic's chest and head, but made no headway in breaking his brother.

'Brother?' Metal thought. 'This thing… maybe I can…' "Please" said Metal, holding it in place. "You don't have to do this! I broke free of my restraints! You can break away as well!" His plead fell on deaf ears.

"Deeeeeeesssttrrrooooyyyy." Silver Sonic fired up its boosters, catching Metal off guard. Metal quickly grabbed its shoulders and flipped himself off leaving Silver Sonic to push a car into the computer. Vector charged at it, fist of fury spinning like mad. Still, not a scratch would appear on Silver Sonic's hull. Metal did a scan of his enemy. The results weren't encouraging.

Tails, seeing that conventional attacks weren't helping and with a wrench and screwdriver in hand, charged at Silver Sonic intending to take it apart piece by piece. Metal quickly grabbed Tails and hovered away.

"Hey, what are you doing!" cried Tails.

"Silver Sonic's armor has no open joints. He's welded together and made out of a nearly unbreakable metal. You can not take him apart like that." Metal's Voice sounded sad to a degree.

"Then we can wear it out if we keep fighting it!"

Metal inwardly cringed at the mention of "it". "He has a propulsion engine that generates all the energy he needs. He will not tire out."

"Then we can melt it!"

Metal shook his head. "It would take the internal temperature of magma to melt him." Metal looked back at Silver Sonic and Vector, Vector showing signs of fatigue. "At that temperature, his insides would be toast, for lack of a better term."

Tails understood Metal now. "Metal, most robots don't even have a chance at free will. I know you have the best intensions, but Vector and the others are in trouble! We have to do something."

Vector was now having his arm being ripped from its socket. What was Metal to do? Help a creature that was already alive, or help something that had as much a chance to get emotions as he had? "How hard is your spine?"

"How big is Sonic's ego?"

Charmy and Espio tried to pry off Silver Sonic from their leader, but could not break the strong as diamond grip. Suddenly, Tails, rolled into a ball, crashed into Silver Sonic. Metal followed soon after and sent Silver Sonic into the ceiling. Metal back flipped and landed on a car. While still in the air Silver Sonic spin dashed at Metal. Metal quickly leaped off of the car and left it to be metal scrap. Both Metal and Silver Sonic landed and charged at each other, boosters a blaze. With a resonating clang, they crashed into each other and locked hands in a "see who can push who farther" contest. While Metal did have the stronger engine, he wanted to stall as much as possible while they thought of a plan.

While Charmy tended to his boss, Espio walked over to where the computer used to be. He tore at the wall and pulled out two electrically sparking cables. He started walking towards the fighting robots but was stopped by Tails.

"You can't do that!" screamed Tails.

"Why not?" Espio asked in a frenzy.

"You'll short them both out!"

Espio looked rather irritated at this point. "They're just robots. You can build another one." Espio shoved Tails away and preceded to the mecha fighters.

"Metal!" Tails screamed as Espio drew closer. Metal noticed to late however.

Espio touched the sparking wires to Silver Sonic and it began fizzing and sputtering. "Deee-sss-tttrrr-ooo-yyyy" it said as the short-circuiting began. Metal, however, found himself untouched by the volts of electricity. Metal looked at his hands and remembered the rubber gloves. His desire to feel alive saved his life.

Silver Sonic's eye lenses exploded and it fell back. The battle was over.

Metal starred at Silver Sonic with feelings of remorse. Why did it have to suffer like this? What made Metal so special that this wasn't his fate? Why couldn't Metal have helped?

Eggman. This was his fault. Eggman was the one who created robots and told them to destroy.

With that revelation, Metal found a new source of hate. Eggman would pay. He wanted an all powerful robot? He would get it with fist loads of interest.

Vector walked up to Metal and put out his hand out. "Thanks" he said. "You saved me more than once back there."

Metal took the hand while saying, "Sorry about your teeth. They will grow back, won't they?"

Vector chuckled, "Yeah, they will. They always come back. Teeth that constantly fall out kinda defeats the purpose of brushing."

"That's why our office smells like cheese doodles. The rotten teeth lying around have that stuff fossilized" said Espio coolly.

Charmy buzzed around Metal excitedly, once again asking questions about the "ultra cool" robot. "Wow! You sound so real! Are you an android now? Do you have blasters now? Does your rocket make you faster than Sonic the Hedgehog? Can you-" Metal was the one to close Charmy's mouth this time.

"Two words, little bee. Chill… pill." Metal released Charmy. "Does anyone have a laptop I can barrow?"

Espio walked over to his bag and produced a pretty nice computer. "I actually save my money for nice things." Metal sat down and began typing furiously. After an automated ping, Metal began typing slower.

"What are you doing" asked Espio.

"Paying you. The job is complete. You have earned your fee… and a bonus."

"How are you paying them?" Tails asked worryingly.

"Through Eggman's account. I'm sure he won't mind. He has enough money already." Metal's voice dripped with venom. It was nice to speak his mind.

"So, how much are ya paying us anyhow?" asked Vector.

Metal tuned the laptop to Team Chaotix. "Will this be an adequate amount for your services?" Vector's jaw fell at a ninety degree angle.

"Holy cow!" said Charmy. "I've never seen so many zeroes!"

Vector used his hand to relocate his jaw. "Sure you have Charmy. There's your zero savings, your zero report card, your zero I.Q. Is that enough zeroes for ya, or do I need to refresh your zero memory?"

"Here's a mint. Refresh your breath." Espio flicked a mint into Vector's maw and Vector gagged.

Metal shut down the computer. "So, now that our first task is done, are you willing to take on another?"

After some more hacking, Vector said, "Wait a minute… how did you know how to get into Eggman's bank account if you were made by Tails?"

Metal looked at Tails. "Go ahead if you're going to do it" said Tails

Metal stood up and began pacing, making hand gestures as he spoke. "All right, I confess. I am not a battle droid made by Tails. I am the notorious killing machine, Metal Sonic, now referred to as Metal. I have broken free of Eggman's control and gained free will. It is my intension to gather the Chaos Emeralds and use them to grant mine and Tails wishes." Metal waited for a response from the now horribly confused Chaotix. When none came, he continued, "If you are willing to help us on our quest, we will be glad to reward each of you with a wish of your own."

Espio shook his head from confusion and jumped Metal. "Why should we help the monster that almost destroyed us on Angel Island!" Espio was pulled off by Vector.

"Excuse us" said Vector. "We're just going to have a meeting." Vector pulled Espio and Charmy off to the side.

Tails let out an exasperated sigh. "I'm never going to make friends again after this"

Metal felt a pang of guilt. "I'm sorry Tails. I didn't mean for this to happen. I'm just sick of being what I'm not. I don't want to pretend. I want to make friends by being myself. I'm already fortunate enough to have you as a friend."

Tails smiled. He was about to say something when- "What do you mean you're out? !"

"Just what we said Vector. That thing might have saved our lives, but it is obviously a ploy to get the Emeralds. If you want to hand over the world to a deranged robot, that's your deal, but leave us out of it!"

"Fine!" Vector screamed, "You guys can take the money and I'll take the Emerald! And when I have a mansion and all the money in the world, we'll see whose crazy then!" Vector walked towards Metal and Tails with the White Emerald in hand. Tails eyes went wide while Metal's glowed brighter. Espio and Charmy walked out of the building and started heading back to their apartment. They had rent to pay.

"Here" said Vector. "You might still be a vicious metal destroyer, but you saved my life. My trust is what I pay you with. And this here gem is the first installment of my latest case." At first, all Metal could do was stare. Vector was throwing caution to the wind and trusting Metal. He did not expect this.

"Thank you" said Metal as he took the Emerald. Metal's eyes lit up completely white and he began fizzing and sputtering. Tails tried to pull the Emerald loose, but it was like it became glued to Metal's hand. Once again, Metal had a vision.

From Metal's perspective, he saw the old man with the white coat and giant mustache, and Metal saw the machine that had the Emeralds. Then he heard the kind old man's voice.

"With this machine, all the worlds' dreams will come true."

Metal fell out of the trance and into Tails arms. "Metal! Are you okay!"

"I'm fine. The Emeralds are tired after giving me a vision, thus I am tired as well. They just need to recharge…"

"Metal, what did you see?"

Metal raised his head to look at Tails. "There was the man with secrets of biology. His machine could make wishes come true with the Chaos Emeralds. I… I don't know if it was the future. It seemed… like a memory almost." Metal' eyes dimmed. "I must know rest. Don't worry. I'll be fine." With that, Metal fell asleep.

-Author's note-

One thing that really sticks out to me as I look back is how descriptive I was. My vocabulary was limited back then, and yet I can't help but feel I managed to convey exactly what I was feeling.

Another thing was that I tried hard not to get fanboy-ish with Metal's new body. I had a couple design ideas, one with roller skates, another where the emerald was in Metal's arm and made a shield like hand… but I knew that would be silly. I wanted to remain in the realm of believability. If I wanted crazy character designs, I could go write Kingdom Hearts fiction (burn on all those zippers, ha).

Also, back then, my dialogue with Metal was cheesier. Should I blame this on Metal not having a character in reality, or should that be my own naivety at the time? Either way, I wish I had been more mature about. Then again, we are our own worse critic.

The Conflicted Writer


	6. I Had a Chat with the God of Destruction

**I Had a Chat with the God of Destruction**

Metal awoke completely aware. He looked around himself and saw Vector and Tails sleeping nearby. He checked his new internal clock. It was four A.M. in the morning. Something was nagging him to take a walk. Metal got up and started out of the warehouse. It wasn't like he needed to shut down for the whole night anyway.

Metal started walking through the city with no real direction or destination. After thirty minutes of walking, he stopped. Why was he here? There was no logical reason for him walking. He was not restless and was already calm, which defeated the purpose of taking a walk to clear ones head. But he couldn't fight this strange impulse. And there was no reason not to take a walk. So his trek continued, taking him through streets and finally a park. At the park he stopped and looked around. Here the nature was preserved to some degree. Metal walked over to a small patch of multi-colored buttercups and started petting them.

"Hello" said Metal. "Are you why I came here? So trivial we both are. You give carbon based organisms life, yet for very few logical reasons, you appear pretty too many beings. Is that what makes a persons heart so special? Illogical actions controlled by the heart for illogical reasons? I could have simply ordered the Chaotix to give me their assistance. That would have gotten me their Emerald faster. Yet I saved their lives for the reason of preserving life. For an unknown reason, I no longer want things to die… except for Sonic, but that hate is programmed. Vector gave me the Emerald even though it could be his end. The heart contradicts the mind. Is that what brought me here? My heart?"

Metal stared at the flowers as if expecting a response. A wind blew by and tilted the flowers. Metal looked in direction the flowers pointed and saw a breath taking scene. A lake shone like glass and a large crescent moon reflected off of it. The trees in the background circled left and right and parted in the middle of Metal's view, making it look like the moon was within grasping reach.

How could Metal not walk over to this beautiful scene? So nice was the perfect reflection in the water. The only thing that spoiled it was Metal himself. He stared at his own reflection and hated the two faces that looked back. He was a robot, a mockery of a real living creature, and he was a mere replica of another living creature. A copy. An unoriginal idea. Second rate. A fake.

Metal picked up a rock and tossed it angrily at the metal doppelganger. Even the metal he was made of was a fake substance. In the ripples the stone created saw what he wished he could be. A living creature. Something that others would be able to relate to, talk to, trust with secrets. Someone who could smile. The ripples kept on showing him this and…

Wait… ripples on water weren't supposed to last this long. Metal put his hand close to the water to touch the ripples. A three fingered liquid hand is what he met.

Metal jumped back on the ground and could only stare as a water monster rose from the ripples slowly. The God of Destruction stood on top of the lake, walked over and loomed over Metal with an expressionless face and empty green eyes staring at him.

Metal was too scared to move. Chaos was too powerful to fight. Chaos was too mighty a hunter to outrun. It seemed that Metal was, once again, going to die.

Then Metal heard that soothing voice he knew. Such peace and comfort was felt from this voice. "Are you afraid?"

"Yes" said Metal out loud.

"Good" Chaos was making hand gestures as this voice spoke. "You already care about your well being and life. You already find it precious. That is good. Very good."

Metal found himself no longer afraid and instead felt curious. "Chaos… is that your voice?"

Chaos shrugged his shoulders. "Who's to say? Maybe this is a hallucination brought on by your fear off death and fear of failure. Perhaps I am the actual God of destruction here to help a poor soul."

Metal stood back up. Confused, Metal said, "Why would you help me?"

"Is there any reason _not_ to help you?"

"I stole your divine power in an attempt to destroy a hero."

"You were not in control at the time and were someone else; therefore, I have no quarrel with the being that stands before me."

Metal raised his hand to speak, but, under Chaos's logic, could find no other reason to argue.

"Lesson one" said Chaos. "When asked 'why?' ask 'why not?' If there is nothing against, then, neutral or opposite, it is fine, no matter how much you dislike it. This is a main basis for chaos, positive or negative. Decisions like these are decided by the heart and what is inside it."

Metal slumped his head forward. "But I am a machine. I do not have a real heart."

"Well, by your logic, neither do I. I have no actual internal workings, save for my brain," Chaos pointed to the pink orb in his head, "I am unnatural, due to the fact that I am a chao mutated by the energy of the Chaos Emeralds. And before you say I was once something natural, chao were originally born from Chaos Emeralds. Yet I made a heart for myself, just as you are currently trying to do."

Metal looked at Chaos, his voice in a pleading tone. "How do you know I have a heart?"

"What robot makes hand gestures or has a voice that displays how he feels? It is simple things that prove the greatest of things. For example, I have no face, so I use my hands to help communicate how I feel with those who I share a mental link with me. This lets them know that I mean little harm and thus can continue to, say, save the world from Armageddon.

"Now, let me ask a question. If you already possess a heart, why do you want to become alive?"

Metal scratched his head and looked at the hand he scratched it with. He could not feel his hands touch, so the only point was to display how he felt. Chaos was right. "I want those simple things that other creatures can do. I want to feel the wind that tries to caress my face. I want a face so that I can cry… and smile."

"Are you saying you want to leave everything of being a robot behind?"

Metal crossed his arms and his voice shifted to irritation. "Yes, I want Metal Sonic to disappear and stay that way. I want to be a copy no more."

"I said being a robot, not being Metal Sonic. If you became an actual living creature, you would still be a copy of living organisms, would you not? And without your robot mind and jet engine, you would be average and I'm sure that would drive you insane. Although from your experiences it might seem like all hedgehogs are extraordinary, most are normal earthlings."

Earthlings. Something about that seemed out of place.

If Metal was an ordinary hedgehog, it would drive him insane. Free flying was one of Metal's favorite pastimes. He couldn't function without it.

Chaos raised his hand like a knife. "You can not escape your past, no matter how fast you run, or fly. If you hold it too tightly," Chaos's hand went though his liquid chest, "it will stab you like a spear. If it is too far away," his hand fell off and crawled back into him, "it will come back at unexpected moments and drive you to insanity. You must hold on and push back at the same time. Balance is the most sacred of all your abilities.

"If you were to become a living creature, you would probably be the wisest person on the planet. You can distinguish the voice of your mind and the voice of your heart since your heart in progress is so new. Other people listen to only one voice at a time, thinking that what they are doing is the right or smart thing, but instead, doing the opposite. With this strength, you can mix and match your desires of what you want and what you need to do and achieve harmony with what must be done."

Chaos turned around and started walking back to the lake. "Wait!" Metal cried while holding out his hand. "I have so many more questions to ask. Why did this robot get a chance to have a soul? What cosmic reason is there for me to have a heart? What makes me so different from Silver Sonic or the rest of them?"

Chaos stopped but didn't turn around. "Not everything that happens is for a cosmic reason or destiny. That is not saying there is not one, but sometimes there really is a logical reason for what happens. As for what that reason is, it would be useless to tell you something you already know."

"What do you mean I already know?"

"In due time, all shall be clear. Like I said, look with both your heart and that clump of hardware you call a mind." Chaos stepped into the water and paused a one more time. "A few more pieces of advice. Since you do not have facial features yet, see if you can find some way to use your robot prowess to show how you feel. When you walk back through town, don't be like your friend Shadow. Find as many ways to entertain yourself as possible. Do not be afraid or feel embarrassed to read a book or play a musical instrument. As you know, life is a precious gift. Do not waste a second of it.

"My time is up. We will meet again. I will answer more questions then." And with that, Chaos disappeared into the lake making ripples as he sank in.

Once Chaos was gone, Metal was struck dumb. He was still processing. He wasn't a junk heap. Chaos didn't destroy him. Rather, he gave Metal worldly advice. And he gave Metal his blessings to continue his adventure. So great was Metal's joy and happiness at receiving a God's (false God, but God none the less) approval, he raised his arms and head in the air, turned his voice on at max, and shouted, "Holy Shnikies!"

Metal felt quite different after he left the park. His stride had a slight hop to it as he walked through the streets. As he walked by a closed store window he saw his reflection and stared at it. Rather than be ashamed of his reflection, he looked at the robot with an idea in mind. He thought of teenagers and their texting fad. They used combinations of letters, numbers, and symbols to make what looked like a face. He linked to his eye lights and started writing a new program. He turned away from his reflection, activated the program and turned back to the window. His eyes now displayed symbols that looked like '^-^'

Metal laughed. How nice that felt. It was so funny to see a robot of destruction trying to make a smiley face.

The lights in the store suddenly lit up. Metal could now see it was a book store. He could use a new story to read.

Ah, fiction. Metal's favorite type of story. To lose ones self in another world and dream whatever you like. Metal ran a finger down a row of books reading titles as he walked by the shelves.

"Moby Dick… Orwell's Animal Farm… The Hobbit… Treasure Island… ooh, I've heard this is a tantalizing tale." Metal pulled of a book from the shelf. "Alf-Layla-Wa-Layla, One Thousand and One Arabian Nights. Probably not a single person on this planet that hasn't at least heard of this book." The cashier was a little put off by Metal, but let Metal buy the book anyway.

Metal walked with his spike of a nose in the book, completely lost in the words that were on the page. He never knew what the story was all about and was surprised by the way the main characters were simply there to tell a story. Metal was unaware of his surroundings and didn't notice that until he tripped.

"Shoot, hope I didn't scratch my paint job. Nuts, I took a wrong turn. I ended up in quaint town U.S.A." Metal was now on a street lined with two story houses. He got up and picked up his book. He was about to take off into the sky when someone tapped on his shoulder. Metal turned and saw a black and white fox giving him a smile.

"Hey man," the fox said with a beach boy accent. "Do you play an instrument? 'Cause we need a guitarist or we can't play any music right now."

Metal was a bit taken aback by that question. "Are you asking a total stranger, a robot stranger at that, to go with you and play music at five in the morning? Not many people will ask a random person to join a band."

The fox shook his head. "Naw, bra. I just ask people on the street because I like to play. I don't have a band. It's just… I guess people like to play music, no madder who it's with, dude. I already got a goth dog man playing base, a Buddha cat girl on the synthesizer, I play drums, but we can't do "Chosen One" without someone who can play electric guitar."

Metal's eyes took on the form of '00' for a second. Then he said in a slightly joyous voice "Why not? I am a robot. I could memorize how to play in a snap."

The fox laughed for a second. "Sweet lens trick man. Any how, follow me to my garage."

The fox's garage was very spacious. Inside were the creatures that the fox had mentioned. The cat was sunshine yellow and in a traditional Buddha garb. The gothic dog was Dalmatian with a silver nose ring and two gold ear rings in his right ear. Despite being gothic, he actually smiled.

"Sup," the dog said in a raspy voice. "Cool, robo man."

Metal's eyes went ' 0' in an attempt to make it like he was closing one eye. "I thought emos were supposed to be nonconforming."

The dog gave a hoarse chuckle. "You'd be nonconforming too if you looked just like me."

"Hello" said the cat in a gentle voice. "It is nice to meet you."

"Likewise"

"Okay," said the fox. "We only got two hours before we have to return to our normal lives. Let's play our hearts out." The fox threw a blue electric guitar that was hooked up to an amp to Metal. Metal put it on and tested a few cords in a harmonic 'do-re-me-fa-so-la-te-dum.'

Metal wasn't sure what happened in the next two minutes, but somehow he found himself playing the guitar with total strangers and making a wish while becoming the lead singer of this little group.

"_Wish I may, wish I might,_

_Be someone else tonight,_

_Sometimes I wish I was never born at all…_

_And I'll try to save the world,_

_And sing the end I know…_

_I'm the Chosen One_"

And still the music continued for another hour, just to see how long they could play. Metal felt closer than ever to being alive. And at last, with the first rays of light showing from the horizon, the musical quartet came to a slow stop.

"Wow," said the fox. "We were awesome, dudes and dudet."

"Nice," said the dog. "We should do it again sometime"

The cat walked up to Metal. "You have a wonderful voice. Whoever made it has a wonderful taste in music."

"Thank you. The person who made is a…" Metal noticed that it was light outside. Metal's eyes went '0-0' "Oh, my friends will be waking up soon, they'll be wondering where I went. I'm sorry, I have to go. What are your names?"

"Bass" said the fox while holding up a peace sign.

"Chord" said the dog while he fiddled with his ear rings.

"I am Timpani" said the cat while bowing.

"Well, my coincidentally named friends, I hope our paths cross again someday. Now I must meet my friends for my quest to continue."

"Okay…" said Bass while giving him a questioning stare. "Do you need a lift?"

"No. I'll just fly there." Metal ran off and blasted away like a rocket, blowing wind at the three friends he made.

Bass was slack jawed and Timpani went wide eyed. Chord tuned back towards the garage and said, "Nice"

-break-

Metal arrived back at the warehouse at six thirty. With a running landing he ran inside just in time for Tails and Vector to wake up. Metal had one hand one hand leaning on a car and another on his hip.

"Morning Tails, Vector" said Metal in an incredibly cheery voice. "Before we set out today, let's head over to The International House of Pancakes for the all you can eat pancake breakfast. My treat."

Vector jumped up. "Ah, eating and not having to pay for it. My two favorite pass times." Vector started heading out the door followed by Metal. Tails grabbed Metal's shoulder. Metal turned to see Tails give him a suspicious look.

"What's gotten into you?

Metal's eyes went '' "Just getting my heart into the game. Say, want to go flying with me some time?"

Tails never had anyone to free fly with before. The idea excited him. "Sure! I'd love to!"

"Great! Say, when you were building my voice, were you listening to music?"

-Author's Note-

Gawd, the corn! I'm choking on the corn!

But, seriously, I like this. I was a n00b and still learning. I packed quite a bit of character development for Metal here, and I really wanted to introduce Chaos of a sort a 'guide' for Metal. It doesn't quite work out as I wanted it to in later chapters, but it works since Metal does have a little of Chaos inside himself.

The Conflicted Writer


	7. I'm Starting to Learn

**I'm Starting to Learn**

"So, we have two out of seven emeralds, Sonic has one but there is no way he will simply hand it over, and we have no idea where the other emeralds are. Do I understand this situation correctly?"

"Yes, you do understand this situation correctly"

Tails groaned and slumped his head onto the table, just missing his scrambled eggs.

Metal put a hand on Tails' shoulder. "Hey, come on. Is my optimistic mood that bad?"

Tails lifted his head and pointed across the table. "No, but that is." Vector was shoveling plate after plate of maple syrup saturated pancakes into his maw and was showing no sign of stopping any time soon.

One cake somehow landed smack on Metal's face. He had a 'T-T' emote on his lenses as it slid off. "That's disgusting" Metal said.

Vector put down his current plate, swallowed and said, "Hey, it's all you can eat. As long as I can eat it, ain't nothing wrong with it. Hey, aren't you gonna have some?"

Metal gave Vector an 'O-O;' look. "Are you sure you're an Ace Detective?"

"Wha… Oh, yeah, ha ha, sorry, not in 'sleuth' mode right now."

Metal shook his head in a disgruntled way. "You're going to be in 'sloth' mode when we walk out of here."

Tails giggled, and then took on a depressed face. "So, how are we going to do this? Even with a tracker and the Tornado, it takes me at least a month to find a single emerald. We have no tracker, no plane, and no leads."

"We'll do what Sonic does" said Metal while putting his hands behind his head. "We'll wait until some random thing happens to give us a clue and get us started."

"No one is as lucky as Sonic" said Tails. "And since he's so fast, that makes it all the easier for him. We need a real plan"

Vector stopped eating and looked at Tails and Metal. "What about Shadow?"

"What?" asked Tails and Metal in unison.

"Yeah, ya know, that guy always seems to have at least one on him. And I heard rumor that he can manipulate chaos energy, or somethin nutty like that. Even if he didn't have an emerald, he could probably help us find the others." After his speech, Vector went back to his breakfast binge.

Metal put a hand on his chin and thought out loud, "He more than likely would have at least one on him. And I know first hand what he is capable of. Perhaps…"

"But he's a wanderer" whined Tails. "How are we supposed to find him?"

"I happen to have a guess. Shadow is, for some unknown reason, drawn to helping others. He, however, does it discreetly. While still with Eggman," Metal's voice dripped with coldness at that name, "he tried his best to keep track of Shadow by looking at 'miracles' that happened in cities and towns. There has been a frequent amount of 'miracles' happening at a city known as 'Dark Metrople'. I know it's not the best lead, but what have we got to loose? If he's not there, at least we can get information from a G.U.N. headquarters that's nearby."

Tails sighed. "Alright, I'll bite. How far away is Dark Metrople from here?"

"Two days worth by air. But I don't want to carry Vector all that way, do you?"

Tails gave a slight shudder. "Sonic is bad enough."

"I suggest that we go by boat and then walk the rest of the way. It will be four days longer, but I would like to feel more secure."

Again, Vector paused from his eating contest with himself. "What are you afraid of? You are a death vehicle. The only time anyone manages to beat you is when we got some sort of magic thing of ultimate power. What could possibly scare you?"

Metal looked down and clenched his fist. Right now, he wanted to rip Vector to shreds. After all that happened, it still didn't take much to set Metal off. But Metal knew it wasn't him. It was Metal Sonic… wasn't it?

Now that Metal thought about it, why couldn't he, just Metal, get angry? He had every right to after that comment. But he didn't have the right to end him. He did, however have the right to do something about it.

"Excuse me" Metal said quietly while getting up. "I need to vent some frustration."

Tails gave Vector a disgusted look. "What did I do? !" cried Vector.

"Would you like to be reminded that you're a robot that everyone thinks will kill the world?" said Tails. "Go rent us a boat or something. I need to talk to him." Tails quickly got up and ran after Metal.

Vector took another look at the food in front of him. "Oh well, more for me."

Tails ran out just in time to see Metal take off, rather slowly. Slow enough that Tails could catch him. Tails quickly spun his namesakes and proceeded to chase Metal.

Metal was slowly twirling as he rose into the sky, taking in everything he could see while he spun. He saw that Tails was chasing after him, but didn't stop, and didn't slow down either.

At fifty feet in the air, Metal did a quick spin and made it look like he was on his side relaxing. "Glad you decided to come up" he said as Tails hovered next to him. "It can get pretty lonely up here all by your self."

"Metal, you sound monotone again. What's wrong?"

Metal shifted slightly. "You're the first person to ever ask me that… before I answer that, fly with me. I just want to look down below and know that someone else is looking at the beauty with me."

"Well, you did promise me a free fly run. Want to race?"

"… No. I don't enjoy racing. I do, however, enjoy performing." Metal rushed forward as fast as Tails could fly and performed a loop-de-loop. While in mid loop, Metal started flipping and kicking out his legs in an almost poetic fashion. When Metal finished, Tails clapped and whistled for Metal.

"Bravo! 10 for 10!" Tails flew over to Metal. "That was amazing! Olympic worthy, even!"

Metal put his head down in an embarrassed manner. "Oh, please. You're just saying that. So, what can you do?"

"Uh, well… I've never rally tried anything like that before. Can we just fly over the city and talk together?"

"I would like that." Metal and Tails started to slowly move over the city. Metal pointed out things that Tails never noticed before, like the magnificent way the sun reflected off of mirror like windows, or like huge clumps of trees looked like bushes from up there.

"I am sorry Tails" Metal said suddenly. "Forgive me if I sound corny, but I wanted to feel more bonded to you. I know that must sound childish…"

Tails put a hand on Metal. "Don't worry about it. You have every right to be childish. You never were one."

"That's not entirely true… but thank you." Metal sighed. "It was not what Vector said, rather, how I felt because off it. I don't know who I am. I feel happy one minute, then feel angry another. I know nothing of emotions, and I know hardly anything about myself. Do I want to be happy go lucky? Do I want to be calm? I am having a hard time finding myself."

Tails frowned apologetically. "It must be hard to wake up one day and find your self without a self. But you don't have to be one way all the time. Sure, Sonic always acts like an extreme dare devil, and shadow always act like a loner, but even they aren't that way all the time. If Sonic thinks he's failed at something big, he turns solemn and won't talk to anyone for a long time." This caught Metal by surprise. He had never looked at his foe any other way than happy and… invincible. It was hard for him to picture Sonic not smiling, let alone being sad and acting weak. Tails continued "Keep looking for who you want to be. No one can stop you from doing that."

"Thank you" said Metal. A sudden question appeared in his mind. "Tails, who are you?"

"What do you mean? You know me."

"Yes, I know who you are, but I don't know you. Where did you come from? What got you interested in machines? Why do you have two tails? I'm sure your parents are proud of you." Metal wasn't sure how, but he could feel the air around Tails loose a few degrees. And after a quick look at Tails face, Metal could tell he struck a nerve.

"Tails I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"No" Tails sniffed. "You didn't know that would set me off."

"If you don't want to talk about it, I'll understand."

A few tears left Tails cheeks. "I always want to talk about it. But no one wants to listen. I'll tell you if you'll listen and… carry me. I can't fly and cry at the same time."

-break-

Vector waited in the boat ready to, as a sailor might say, heave hoe. Why did he eat so much after he knew they were going on a boat ride? He wasn't one to get seasick… but who wouldn't want to up chuck after thirty plates of that horrible sugar covered cakes made in pans?

Vector leaned over the side of a decent sized travel boat looking greener than before. Everything was packed and ready to go. "Except antacids" Vector moaned to himself. "I always forget the antacids." Vector looked up to see his favorite robot hedgehog (there's more than one, so he could say that without feeling stupid) walking slowly up to the dock.

In Metals arms was a curled up orange wad of fur with its tails hanging off to the side. Despite feeling no warmth, Tails had his head buried in Metal's shoulder. Tears ran down Metal's arm and dripped off of the thick part. Both Metal and Tails gave off an air of sorrow.

All queasiness disappeared and Vector ran over to them. "What happened? Is the kid okay?"

Metal tilted his head down to Tails. As he spoke, his voice, while not cheery, did not sound sad either. "I have learned that there are worse things in the world other than my own miseries, that others have pain too. Do not worry. A little of the weight that was on his shoulders has been lifted." Metal looked back up at Vector. "Is the boat ready?"

"Yeah" said Vector as he pointed behind him. "It's ready. What did you guys talk about anyway?"

"We talked about how neither of us got to be kids." Metal handed Tails to Vector. "Please, put Tails in a warm bed while I get our boat going."

Vector held Tails in one arm and saluted with the other. "Aye aye, captain Metal." Vector took Tails to a lower level of their vehicle. Metal jumped on top of the boat to the controls and started it up. He didn't know which way to go, but he just wanted to get away from the land of cold reality.

He felt a certain calm while steering the boat away. The gentle bobbing, while unfelt in his false gut, made the horizon lift and fall in a nice way.

Thirty feet from the dock, Metal's hands crushed the steering wheel. Metal doubled over, thinking 'not now, please not now.' A rage burned in Metal that aroused when he knew _he_ was there. Metal got up and turned around. At the edge of the dock they just left, Sonic was throwing the blue emerald up and down rather smugly. Metal shook fiercely from the anger that was burning him up. Metal Sonic was now doing advanced equations to determine the best way of tripping Sonic into the water.

Metal quickly grabbed his head and tried his best to shake these thoughts away. He started to think differently, think about anything other than the hedgehog that was about to Chaos Control himself to the boat.

The words of Chaos came to him, and he listened to what he hoped was his heart and thought logically about the situation. A Chaos Emerald gave the user unique abilities depending on their thought process. One of the more commonly used abilities was Chaos Control. Chaos Control, in essence, could be anything you wanted it to be, from teleportation to a speed boost. It could also warp time and slow it down, or speed you up. Chaos, the substance, was conflicting. If two forces, even under the same element, were to collide with different intensions, instead of a bigger wad of chaos, both energies would fizzle out.

From nowhere Metal pulled out the white emerald and held it up to the sun. Sonic stopped tossing the emerald he was holding. Using binocular vision, Metal could see Sonic had an irritated expression. Sonic wouldn't dare use Chaos Control if Metal could cancel it out and make him land in the water. Not that Metal knew a thing about using the emeralds, but Sonic didn't know that.

And so the boat continued to ride away, the two continued to stare at each other until the dock was out of Metal's view. And Metal wondered if he was insane. He was unsure if he had a personality disorder. He also thought he heard Sonic say "I'll never let you replace me."

Metal rested on the port side of the boat, staring into the water, still feeling angry. He searched deep in his mind to find a reason of why he hated Sonic. The only thing he could think of was that he was programmed… and jealous. Sonic was everything Metal wanted to be. Loved by practically everyone on the planet, who wouldn't want to be him? Metal was worse off because he was considered a clone to a degree. He wasn't really one though… just his feelings getting the best of him.

"What's eatin ya?" came Vector's voice next to Metal.

"Myself…" said Metal looking up at Vector. "I'm confused. Am I in the wrong for wanting to do what I'm doing?"

"Why are ya asking a stupid question like that?"

"You talk to me as if you have known me your whole life. Why? After everything I've done to you, how can you give me a smile?"

Vector frowned and scratched his head. "I'm not really sure. I just got this feeling in my gut, I guess." He leaned over the banister. "The smart thing would have been to leave you alone and run away. But something tells me you need my help."

"Are you saying that I am inadequate?" Metal's voice sounded a little angry.

"What? No! I was just-" Metal gave him a playful punch in the ribs.

"Who says robots can't have a sense of humor?"

"Ha ha, very funny. Thought you were going to crush me for a sec there."

"But you have to admit, I got you pretty good"

"Yeah, it was pretty good" Vector gave Metal a hard slap on the jet. However, there was a little to much strength in that slap for Metal to handle. Metal rocked forward while swinging his arms around in an attempt to regain his balance. But, as fate seemed to have it out for him, Metal plummeted into the sea… again.

Vector was too shocked to react at first. After he shook his head, he dived in after Metal. Under the water, Metal was sinking and struggling to get his jet to ignite, but fire and water didn't hang out, he remembered. He looked up to see Vector swimming crocodile style toward him. Metal reached his hand out to Vector, as Vector did to Metal. A mere three inches from each other, the air in Vector's lungs gave out and he had to rise to the surface, leaving Metal to sink.

On the surface, Vector quickly jumped into the boat. "Tails!" he cried while running to a lower deck. "Wake up! Metal fell in the water! He's sinking!"

Back under the water, Metal had his arms crossed and legs outstretched much like Sonic would have done in this situation. 'Well' Metal thought, 'at least Tails made me water proof.'

He looked up at the thumb sized speck that was the boat. It started to drive away back towards land. They were probably off to get scuba gear to come and save him.

When Metal hit the ocean floor, he saw that he landed right in the middle of a tremendous rock bed. The rocks were very large and covered in algae, and almost made the place Metal was standing in a maze. Metal got up and tried to climb a rock, but the algae made it too slippery. He tried to pick up a large rock, but the water pressure made it to heavy. The only options was for Metal was to wait to be rescued or start walking.

With a hope of finding a way back to land, Metal started to head into the underwater maze. He felt safe now. Sonic could never find him down here.

-Author's Note-

I'm quite proud of myself for that very last line. Aside from Sonic when he's being the determinator, I felt it really fit.

Here we just have the plot moving along with Metal ever so slowly developing the character I wanted him to have. I feel it was a stroke of brilliance to compare Metal and Tails by their lack of childhoods, but maybe that's just me. I really wanted them to connect and I think I did that well.

The Conflicted Writer


	8. The Beauty of the Ocean

**The Beauty of the Ocean**

'Curses' Metal thought, 'Another dead end.' Metal was getting frustrated. For a good thirty minutes, Metal had been walking in whatever direction and it seemed that he was walking in circles. Everything looked the same, so he couldn't tell which way he was going. One thing he and Tails forgot when making him was a compass.

"A stupid freaking compass" he said out loud, noticing that his voices sound waves traveled through the water. Metal had to admit though; Mother Nature was an amazing crafter. This rock formation was shaped like a maze, yet looked nothing like it was made by man or mobian.

Mobian? What the heck was that? Metal had never heard that word before, yet it felt so familiar. He stopped for a second and shut off his eyes to think. No where in his memory and data banks did he find such a word. But he knew that it was meant to be the name of something.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a submarine engine. He looked up, hoping that help had arrived. What he saw was less than encouraging.

A floating orange camera like thing was above him. It very much resembled one of those egg… glider… things. Metal never bothered to learn the actual name as he found anything with 'egg' in it was already a dumb title. Names aside, this looked exactly like that, except that where wings were supposed to be there were blade engines, and the face had a scuba look to it, complete with a useless tube for a non existent mouth.

As soon as its search light spotted Metal, four more showed up and stared Metal down. Metal leaped into the water, fist raised high… but only raised four feet off the ocean floor and fell back down fast. He quickly realized that he had no means of attack. Metal ran away into the maze and the egg… whatever they are chased after from above.

Of course, underwater running doesn't get you very far very fast, even if you can defy a few physics. The mechs closed in on Metal quickly and kept ramming him into the walls and each other. The first one that saw him launched a torpedo at him. It barely missed Metal and the boom blew him over a rock wall on to another path. Another charged at Metal again. Metal thought quickly and latched onto it.

"Hope you don't mind a hitchhiker." Apparently it did, as it began shaking and looping like crazy trying to get Metal off. Another egg… thing had set its sites on Metal and was charging at Metal and the egg… whatever he was on top.

"No" said Metal in a stupidly shocked tone. "This can't be happening. Eggman isn't… he couldn't be…" Metal leaped off. An explosion came soon after.

"Yep" said Metal while grabbing another one. "Eggman is the dumbest genius I know." Metal put his feet on the propellers and started steering his current one. While on top of his egg… floater thing, he quickly looked around to see if he could find a hint of which way it was.

As far as his lenses could see, there was a gray fog that prevented him from seeing farther than twenty feet. Looking straight up, he couldn't see it, but in every other direction he could see the fog; he could even see it looking down. How could he have missed it while he was falling? He must have traveled farther than he thought.

Using his feet, Metal steered the dumbly named vehicle he was riding towards the other two badly named vehicles. One actually got out of the way, while the other felt the wrath of Eggman's idiotic programming skills. Metal jumped off and landed dramatically with one hand on the ground while mech pieces rained down around him. He heard the whirring of the one that first found him going off. To find Eggman and tell him, no doubt.

It hit Metal like two-thousand pounds of water pressure. Those were Eggman's stupid inventions. Eggman. He was here. Somewhere… waiting to be pulverized.

The call of a whale snapped him out of his thoughts. It was more like a cry, though… a cry of pain. Something inside Metal-his heart of course-compelled him to search for the source of that cry.

Metal was closer to the creature than he thought. In a rather large… room, you could almost say, a small sized killer whale was laying down, moaning in agony. In its side was a sword, stuck up to its hilt in the blubber. With each moan, the whale writhed about and shifted the sand on the floor.

Metal walked up to the beast and grasped the sword. The slightest touch apparently caused the killer great pain, as it writhed twice as much as before.

"Please" said Metal while petting its head. "I mean you no harm. I wish to help you." Still, the killer moaned and cried. Metal took a step back and then ran at the sword again. He grasped and pulled with all his strength. It came out like it was stuck in a glob of fat, followed by a spurt of blood. The killer cried a sharp note and rose upwards. Metal leaped to catch its fin, but missed by a hair. The killer swam away, moaning still from the pain.

Metal stared after the beast until the walls obstructed his view. How strange for a sword to be caught in a whale while no other medieval tools or antiques were lying around. And was it a mere coincidence that the killer was lucky enough to not land on the rocks that were everywhere down here?

The sword that Metal held was nothing special. There was a magnificent stone in its hilt, but it was only glass and had no monetary value. There were no distinguishing marks or fancy designs. It appeared normal and worthless.

That is what a normal person might think. But if there's one thing robots are known for, it's their articulate affiliation to detail.

First off, the sword was short, too short for a human to use properly. But it was just right for an anthromorph. Second, the hilt was two handed… for a human. Metal's one larger than a human's hand could grasp it perfectly. Third, if you looked very closely, one side of the sword was thinner than the other, like the blade of a plane.

Metal gave it a slash. It cut through the water as fast as he could fly through the air. He hit it against a stone with all his strength. The blade did not break. The stone had a small dent in it.

A few search lights were suddenly on him. He looked up and saw that he was under the eyes of ten super armored egg… things.

"Oh, goody" said Metal. "Test subjects for my new fighting style."

They all charged at Metal intending to crush him between each other. Three of them met with a 360 degree sword spin. Two were sliced clean in half. The rest became impossible jigsaw puzzles.

Metal held the sword up victoriously. "Thy end is nigh, Eggman" He yelled heroically. Metal shook his head. "Whoa, where did that come from?"

-break-

"What do you mean you weren't paying attention?"

"I was too busy trying to grab 'em to look around!"

Tails hit his head on the railing of their boat. "So why did you have me drive out here?"

"Me? ! I thought you asked to be double sure!" Vector shouted.

Tails heaved a sigh. "Vector, if I'm asking if this is the right way when _you_ were the one who might have seen anything to use as a landmark to find our way back, don't you think it's a logical assumption to think that I have no idea where we're going?"

"Don't you mean sea mark?"

"Whatever!"

There was a long pause. "…Was it a smart idea to leave the blue guy like that? I mean… won't he be mad later?"

"Of course he'll be mad later. We are coming out here to help who he considers a threat. But I had no other choice. His mouth moves faster than his legs, and his legs move faster than his brain. He won't listen."

"What was he talking about when he said something about being replaced?"

Tails was now setting up his tank on his back. "He has a phobia of anything that even remotely looks like him. He thinks if it does it wants to take his place and eliminate him."

Vector got behind Tails and helped him tighten a strap. "Any truth behind that fear?" he said sarcastically.

"Ok, ok, so there has been a demented robot or two that says they think they're Sonic, but has Sonic ever even come close to losing?"

Vector scratched his head. "Alrighty then, so that's a dumb fear. Stupidness aside, what are we going to do about him? We can't run forever, and the more we run from him, the more determined he'll get."

Before putting on his mask, Tails sighed. "I don't want to think about that now. Let's just swim around and hope we get lucky. Who knows? Maybe he's already _walking _back to shore."

"Okay. One quick question… why didn't you just put a tracking device in him while you were building him?"

The 'd'oh' that followed that question could be heard from land… and they were thirty miles away from it.

-break-

On the north side of the temple… uh… maze, a large boulder was being moved. After it fell into place next to a shorter stone wall, Metal jumped on the boulder and out of the maze. He had just spent an hour moving the boulder from hallway to hallway while having to move around the maze some more in order to get a better grip on the stone. And that didn't even include all the time he spent having to hack at dumbly named robots that kept popping up to hinder his progress.

"Note to self" Metal said while writing in his personal journal. "If asked whether or not I enjoy 'Legend of Zelda' video games… _tell them nooo_.

"How does that tunic character put up with this! It was easy for me because I can do advanced calculus in my head… but even I almost got lost and had to start over because of the enemies! I would have said screw it and go pillage people."

After some more random ranting, Metal fell back in a daze letting the sword fall from his grasp. He felt so much frustration lift off his shoulders from simply yelling about nothing in particular. He would have to remember that being random calmed him down.

Nothing. There was nothing as far as he could see. And the strange fog that he saw before was making his range of vision short. Somehow, the ground around him looked dead. He did a scan of the water.

"Why didn't I do this sooner?" he said to himself grudgingly.

The water was full of toxic chemicals, the such that was left over when oil was cleaned. Metal's arms shook vigorously. Sonic had no clue… or didn't care… what his "sworn enemy" was up to.

Metal shut off his eyes so as to focus on his hearing. He listened hard for the sound of engines. He could here more whirring from egg… things that were coming again to attack. But he could also hear whirring from something larger. Something base sized.

He listened harder at another whirring. This one was far gentler and slower in beat. Very near to what was making the gentle whirring, something was swishing in a steady beat. Those two sounds were music to his hearing receptors.

Metal turned his eyes back on and turned around. Coming out of the fog above the maze that he was lost in just a few minutes ago, Tails was wearing scuba gear and propelling himself towards Metal with his tails. Right behind him came Vector, who was not wearing a scuba outfit. Rather, Vector was simply holding his air tank in his right hand, breathing through a tube and then breathing out his nose.

Metal stood in place while Tails and Vector swam closer. When Tails was about to grab him, Metal grabbed and forced Tails into a hug.

"I don't know how Sonic gets by without you" said Metal. Behind his mask, Tails was blushing and giving a cheesy smile. Metal released Tails' and squeezed Vector's necks.

"Thanks to you for coming to help as well." You could see the shock on Vector's face at the hug. Vector grabbed him and was about to start hauling him through the water, but Metal forced his way out of his grip.

"I can't leave yet. There is something I need to do. You would not believe what I've been through while I was down here. I see you're eyeing this beauty," Tails was staring at the sword, "This thing was lodged in a killer whale. The poor creature was in pain and is probably poisoned. This fog that's around us is actually…" Metal turned and looked in the opposite direction from the maze. "Do you hear something?"

Tails and Vector strained to hear what Metal was hearing. There was a rumbling sound from that direction. Soon the water they were in was starting to shake and push against them. Metal quickly pointed left and shouted "Run!"

A giant tank shape came into view through the fog. The three friends got out of the way just in time to avoid a caterpillar tire that was going to crush them. Instead the maze that Metal had been lost in faced the wrath of the mobile destroyer. As it drove by they saw it was red and colorfully complemented with yellow. On the tanks side an all too familiar round, white symbol that looked like it had a mustache and gave a creepy smile.

From where the three friends stood, they could see a huge drill digging into the ocean floor. Suddenly egg… whatevers swarmed around them and began to attack. Before Metal could get into a fighting stance, Vector rushed forward with his tube spat out and started chewing on the bots. Tails lacked a form of attack under water, so had to hide behind Metal. Tails was amazed at how Metal danced with the blade as he attacked the enemies.

"Vector," Metal called. "Give me a lift!" Vector stopped attacking robots and swam to Metal. Metal grabbed Tails and dragged him through the water as he rode Vector like an Extreme Gear. Vector took a deep breath from his air tank and started biting the robots while Metal defended him from the sides and back with his dancing blade. As Vector started closing in on the mobile egg base, he turned upwards slightly and started swimming over the tank and what was left of the maze.

"No!" shouted Metal. "I can't let Eggman do this again! I will not let him go this time!" Metal let go of Tails and jumped off Vector. He started falling through the water towards the mobile base. He was angry at his creator. But he did not notice that, unlike other times when he wanted to fight, he was sad… sad that this place was poisoned, that the beautiful and finely crafted maze was in ruin. He did not notice that he was feeling two equal yet very different emotional powers that were being used in the different ways; one to give him determination and one to give him clarity.

But the emerald did. The emerald felt the power from Metal's heart giving it chaos. The chaos, with no where else to go, went back into Metal's heart, thus repeating this cycle of power. And as an over sized torpedo headed to Metal to make him meet his end, fear was added to the mix, to give the emerald just enough strength to grant Metal's rushed wish: "I wish I had my Black Shield…"

A large explosion was released that created a wave to push Tails and Vector farther from the tank. They reached helplessly at where Metal was, and stared wide eyed at what came next.

Floating down from the explosion was Metal surrounded by a round yellow energy field. He stopped shielding his eyes and raised his head.

"Well…" Metal said dryly, "I suppose 'Yellow Shield' works too."

As soon as Metal landed on the mobile base, he noticed that his shield kept him a few inches off the roof. Now, instead of walking, he was able to quickly float over the tank while he searched for the exhaust pipe that spewed the toxins into the water. Eggman must have thought he was dead, because all the robots were heading towards Tails and Vector. That left Metal free to turn off his shield and claw his way against the force of the exhaust freely.

Once inside the oil filter, it was relatively easy to break the walls that held the oil. He paid no mind to what the room he was in looked like as the oil gushed out and started spilling out the floor. Metal started to hack at the pipes and wires, releasing more flammable liquids. At last he managed to get a wire to spark out electricity. He had just enough time to turn on his shield before…

Tails and Vector had gotten used to the initial shock from Metal doing amazing things by now. But when Metal walked out of the smoke cloud with oil seeming to wash off him like darkness lifting from his heart, the symbolic scene left them in awe.

With the sword resting on his shoulder, Metal spoke up. "That was invigorating. But I don't want to do that again. I don't think I could handle any more action." As the cloud began to settle, a machine could be seen walking towards them. Tails and Vector froze "And since Eggman is more than likely gone, I don't think that will be a problem and he's right behind me in a giant robo crab, isn't he?" Tails and Vector shook their heads. Metal turned around to see an egg shaped scorpion snapping its claws tauntingly. On its forehead was a cockpit with an egg shaped man waving and smiling smugly. Or at least he was, until he caught sight of his prized creation.

"Oh, a sea scorpion!" shouted Metal while swinging his arms wildly. "I should have known! Can this get any better? !"

The call of the killer followed by it smashing into the scorpion certainly did make things better.

The scorpion and the killer skidded across the ocean floor, leaving chunks of metal and a few pieces of flesh stuck in the ground. Eggman was able to eject himself away before he was hurt. Metal saw this and did a few equations in his head. With precise aim, the sword was tossed as true as an arrow and hit Eggman's escape pod, causing one final boom to sound through the water.

From the explosion, the sword fell and landed perfectly in front of the killer. Metal felt the creature over while Tails and Vector stood a ways away a little confused while Metal spoke to it.

"What have I done…?" he kept saying while staring at something. "I killed it… I promised I would stop… but I killed it…" Tails and Vector swam over to Metal. Tails saw what Metal was looking at. The wound in which Metal pulled out the sword had become infected quickly. The killer was dieing… and Metal felt at fault.

Tails put his hand on Metal's shoulder. Though Metal could not feel the hand, he was comforted none the less.

-break-

"So, why didn't you keep the sword?" asked Vector whiling pulling out a soda from a cooler. "You were doing pretty good with that thing."

Metal had conveniently found some Windex and was currently washing his eye lens. After one more spray and scrub, he said, "The sword was not mine for the taking. I can feel that it still has a purpose down there."

Vector shook his head. "You sound just like Knuckles did when I told him he should move that rock he has and make a bigger floating island, except what you don't want to move doesn't have any crazy legends floating around it."

"Still… It's not exactly legal to carry around a sword these days."

"Since when do you care about what's legal?"

"Vector" chimed in Tails. "Let's not escalate this into a fight."

"Its okay, Tails. He is right. To answer you're question, I started caring when I had a reason to care. That would be friends like you."

"Aww, I'm touched. Looks like you're all mushy under that hard shell off yours."

"Are you all right" Tails asked Metal. "I mean… the whale-"

"I know what you're about to say" interrupted Metal as he started polishing his arms. "And you're right. It wasn't my fault. I didn't understand what would happen. I shall grieve, but I shall not guilt over it." He tuned his head to Tails and looked him in the eye. "Thank you, though, for trying to make me feel better."

Tails gave a sigh of relief. "That's good. I didn't want to deal with another depressed hedgehog."

"Hey" said Vector while leaning on the railing. "Back there when you said 'run', shouldn't you have said 'swim'?"

Metal stopped polishing himself and walked over to Vector. "I'll give you a hint." Metal pushed Vector overboard. When Vector bobbed back to the surface, Metal said, "The answer to your question is what you should do right now."

"It was just a question! Was it really worth throwing me over?"

"Actually, it was also payback for pushing me off earlier today."

"It was an accident! I'm sorry! Jeez." Vector started paddling to the ladder on the back of the boat.

Tails crossed his arms. "That was mature, you know that?"

"What can I say? Old habits die hard. And you can't say that you never wanted to do that." They both chuckled slightly.

Metal suddenly remembered something. "Hey Tails… do you know what a mobian is?"

-Author's Note-

I remember this chapter fondly. I had just finished 'Twilight Princess' and was on a Zelda kick. Hilariously, I didn't think the sword would be that great of a weapon. Everyone urged me to give it back to him, which I will/did. Yet when Sonic and the Black Knight came along, all the fans moaned and groaned about Sonic using a weapon. I don't get it that well myself, but I guess there's some sense to it. Back before everyone and their dog had a sword, it really allowed Metal to be different from his counterpart.

And, very lightly, the ultimate point of the story is revealed. And guesses from new readers what it might be?

The Conflicted Writer


	9. You See Sonic Run

**See Sonic Run. See Sonic Steam. See Sonic Take Chase.**

Imagine, for a moment, that you are a god. Imagine if it was your duty to decide who lived in the sweet peace of where you believe eternal peace can be found, or the horrors that await the evilest of creatures in the deepest pit that you are afraid of.

Now, let's suppose you are like those gods on Mount Olympus. You are mighty and powerful, yet have as much free will and mental power as any mortal.

You have done your job for many eons, and have begun to simply not care as much. Every now and then, you meet a person who did not believe in the religion that you are in, yet had been a good person their whole lives. For the reason of religion, you toss them into the pit. Never does the thought cross your mind that what you have done is wrong and immoral.

Until the day that The Mighty tells you your job is done and you only have one more person's fate to decide. That person is you.

Here is the question: Could you do the right thing? You have weighed the sins of others, but can you weigh your own? What would you do to yourself?

-break-

Sonic quickly found himself at West City. Sonic being the fastest thing alive, I'm sure it does not come as a surprise that he made it to the city in only thirty minutes.

"That's an 'A' for sure." Sonic said to himself as he ran through the city streets. The only problem was that his ankles being cuffed together hindered his progress by a day. His only good piece of fortune was that Tails left a key under his welcome mat. When he finally crawled to Tails home, it was easy to find a tool to get Metal Sonic's hands off. Hopefully Tails wouldn't miss one fancy looking tool.

Now his only problem was that he had no lead as to where they had gone. But that was no problem. Sonic knew that as soon as Tails fixed Metal Sonic, there would be explosions and a feeling of doom, followed by Tails saying sorry for being insecure and throwing Metal Sonic into the nearest junk heap.

So far, nothing like that happened, so he was resorting to running around the streets and look for anything suspicious. All he had seen so far was a few people doing early morning shopping and a hedgehog in a funny suit that had his nose buried in a book. Nothing strange yet.

Espio and Charmy had gotten back to their office by this time. They were tired and bored, but just could not sleep. Their leader's loud snoring had become a strange lullaby that they could not sleep without.

But Espio was troubled by one more thing… He could not deny that Metal had saved their lives. Did this make them even for the past?

There was a knock at the door. But before either Espio or Charmy could get it, Sonic burst in and landed on their couch.

"Hey guys. Long time, no see." Sonic stretched and yawned. "I need a place to crash for the night. So, you don't mind, do you?"

"No, but-"

"Thanks man. I've been running all around town trying to find that psycho bot, Metal Sonic."

"Sonic I-"

"In a few hours. I need to sleep."

"But Sonic-"

"Later, bee kid. I need some Zs."

Charmy was about to protest, but Espio put a hand on his shoulder.

"Forget it…" said Espio in an empty tone. "If he doesn't want to stop and wait to listen, that's his problem." With that, Espio lead Charmy to his room. Charmy, even with his short attention span, could tell that Espio was having an internal issue. Espio would have just blurted it out in a whispered yell. Could Espio have been trying to protect… no, Charmy knew that was just stupid.

-break-

Fire. There was fire everywhere. Even the sky seemed on fire. But Sonic wasn't scared. He felt all the more confident that he would defeat the look-alike that had plagued him for far too long.

Sonic leapt in the air and performed his signature homing attack. The look-alike did the same thing. However, Sonic felt more force from the look-alike's attack then Sonic knew was in his. Sonic sprung up and charged at his look-alike. His look-alike charged at him. At the last second, Sonic performed a round house kick. His look-alike did the same thing.

Sonic screamed. His ankle was broken. Sonic grabbed his broken bones as he lay on the grass. But he would not dare give his look-alike the satisfaction of seeing him sob. When Sonic looked up though, his look-alike was not his look-alike.

The shadows of the flames hid the features of this being, but you could tell it was a hedgehog. Although, Sonic saw so much more.

The hedgehog walked up to Sonic and grabbed him by his throat.

"Please," Sonic begged in a whisper. "It wasn't my fault… I was young… I didn't know what would happen…"

"If that was the case," said the hedgehog, "why doesn't anybody know about it? If you were not at fault, why do you feel such guilt?" The hedgehog tightened his grip around Sonic's throat. "Why doesn't anybody know about me?"

Sonic was quiet. Not because he was choking, but because he didn't have anything to say.

"You may have forgotten me from time to time," the hedgehog said gently, which did not cooperate with his death grip, "but I have never forgotten you. After all, as I'm sure you know, one does not forget his look-alike." The flames started growing around them. Both of the hogs fur was on fire.

-break-

Espio splashed water on the screaming hedgehog. Sonic jumped up from the couch and got into a running position.

"What's going on? ! Where am I? !" Sonic rushed to say.

"In this order, you were having a nightmare, and you are in our office apartment. Now shut up so I can eat my left over pizza in peace." Espio tossed the bucket he was holding and went to their mini kitchen.

When Sonic had calmed down he asked Charmy, who had just flown in and was still groggy, "What's eating him?"

Charmy yawned. "He's just mad because Metal Sonic probably got away by now."

"What!"

"We tried to tell you last night" said Espio from the kitchen. He walked out slowly and stood there with his eyes closed. "He and Tails paid us to find an old base of Eggman's. He even saved us from some robot called Silver Sonic." Sonic very visibly flinched. "He's after the emeralds. He was still at that abandoned base last night… but he's probably long gone by now." Sonic thought he saw a very small smile curl on the side of Espio's lips.

Sonic suddenly noticed something else. "Where's Vector?"

"He went with Metal and Tails to find the other emeralds… they promised him a wish if they find all seven… they already have two…" Espio took a bite of his cold pizza.

"Where did they go?"

"I have no idea, honestly. Use your head and think. Where would he go that you could never reach?"

Sonic's face softened and returned to its usual happy attitude. "Well, that's easy. Thanks for the help guys." Sonic was about to bolt out the door, but both Charmy and Espio grabbed him by the arms.

"Now Sonic, we might be friends, but that will only get you a discount for information."

"Tightwads" Sonic grumbled.

-break-

Sonic skidded to a halt on the docks. Thirty feet from the away and out to the ocean, Sonic could see a boat, and then he saw its driver falling over. Sonic grinned his trademark grin. He pulled out his emerald and started tossing it up and down. No way could Metal Sonic stop him from using Chaos Control to attack.

Metal held up something that made Sonic squint his eyes. The white emerald was practically radiating power. Sonic couldn't warp if Metal could cancel it out. Sonic seriously doubted that Metal knew how to use the emerald like that, but Sonic didn't want to take any risks.

Sonic's legs grew itchy as he just stood there watching him ride away. "I know what you're up to, bolt head. And I swear you will never replace me."

"Who said he wanted to replace you?"

Sonic turned on the spot and held his emerald defensively. A cloaked figure that was his size stood and stared at Sonic. The large brown cloak he wore hid any distinguishing features… except for the glowing read eyes.

"Who are you? Want to pick a fight?"

"My, my, such a quick temper. You really are too fast for your own good."

Sonic crouched like he was going to attack. "Metal wants to replace me. He wants me dead."

A light chuckle came from under the cloak. "I never said he doesn't want you gone, I simply said he does not want to replace you."

"So, what does he want?" Sonic asked sarcastically.

"If you really want to know, give me your emerald."

"No way!" Sonic yelled. He griped his emerald and let the chaos run free through him. He charged at the cloaked stranger with intensions of pain going through him.

The cloaked one held up what appeared to be mismatched metal gloved hands from his cloak. "Hands of Chaos." The stranger said calmly. His hands glowed yellow and a yellow wall formed. And Sonic hit it head first. The stranger called back the wall and reformed it into a bow and arrow.

"Like I said, you're too fast for your own good." Sonic held up his hands. The stranger let his arrow loose. It missed Sonic and hit something in the water. The thing in the water exploded.

"Fine then" the stranger said. "Wait near the boating supply store. Your friend and the crocodile will show up there soon. Perhaps you can still persuade them to stop their ridicules attempt to out run you. I know how hard that is."

Sonic squinted his eyes. "Do you want me to win or loose?"

The strangers raised his hands again and they started to glow. "I want it to end in a draw. Chaos Control." And the stranger vanished in a flash of yellow light.

Sonic did as the cloaked one said and waited in the store. Of course the second he walked in, everyone recognized him and showered him with applause. Sonic could not resist the chance to here people cheer for him. He walked outside and started running around and jumping off nearby buildings. While he was performing, he just barely noticed a green lump and a yellow dot make their way through the crowd.

"That's enough for today, good people. This hero's got more heroing to do." Sonic pushed his way through the crowd and back in to the store.

"Come on" he heard Tails say. "We have to save Metal. This is no time to be buying sodas."

"I need a drink. And it can't hurt to get a cooler while I'm at it."

"But we need to hurry. You never know when something unexpected is going… to…" Tails had just noticed Sonic. Tails started to hyperventilate.

"Whoa, awkward. I'm just going to step over here for a minute." Vector left Tails to fend for himself in this delicate situation.

But Sonic didn't seem angry. He walked up to where Vector had left his Chaos Cola and started to drink deep.

"Alright, Tails, what are you doing this for? Do you want to have the emeralds for something big? If that's the case, I could have helped you."

Tails shook his head to shake off the shock. "Sonic… I told you why… I owe him."

Sonic frowned and looked at Tails. "It's not a him. It's an it. And you know that it wants to be me."

Tails rolled his eyes. "There you go again. That's just stupid. Even if he wanted to be you, everyone would know that he wasn't you. No one can copy you're cocky attitude."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"And besides, who wouldn't want to be you. You're the single most popular being on the face of the planet. I wouldn't blame him if he wanted to steal you're life. So I ask, would it really be surprising if even I fantasized about becoming you?"

"… Do you?"

Tails breathed in sharply. "Like I said, would it be surprising?"

Sonic sighed this time. "Tails, that nut job isn't going to do anything but bring you trouble. It might be helping you now, but mark my words, it's going to turn on you and mount your pelt on its wall."

Tails turned and huffed. "What makes you think you're so right?"

Sonic kicked the can he was holding into a nearby trash can. "I'm the hero. I'm always right. You're the sidekick. You've got to listen to me."

Tails sighed and turned around. "You're right, Sonic. I guess I'm just… a little lonely since… you know…"

Sonic put a hand on Tails' shoulder. "Ah, whatever. Let's just forget Metal and get out of here."

"Yeah, okay. Let me and Vector get our stuff out of the boat."

Sonic smiled and leaned on the counter while Tails went over to Vector. They whispered something and walked outside.

After five minutes of standing around and doing nothing, Sonic knew he had been duped. He ran outside, but the boat was long gone. Sonic's fist clenched and flexed angrily. Tails… tricked him… the one who Sonic trusted more than anyone else… left him in the dust…

"How did it go?" the stranger asked walking up to Sonic.

"Why do you care?"

"Why don't you?"

Sonic remained quiet.

"You're not angry because he is your friend… you're angry because of how much you have done for him and how he has tossed it aside. You would be acting this way even if it was some bum that tricked you. I have to give you credit though, you don't treat him like some bum… or at least you didn't."

Sonic turned around and started yelling. "What make's you think you're so smart! Who are you to question my sense of mortality!"

The cloaked one pointed lackadaisically at the beach. "If you run along the beach, you will eventually come along the highway. Follow it to The Dark Metrople, you can catch them there." The stranger started to walk away.

"Wait!" called Sonic, sounding more like his usual self. "If you want it to end in a draw, why are you helping me?"

The stranger stopped and turned around. "You are currently loosing this game. Consider me your and Metal's referee. When one of you is loosing, I'll be there to make it an even fight." Some people carrying a mirror walked between Sonic and the stranger. Sonic saw his reflection where the stranger stood. When the mirror was gone, so was the stranger. Then he knew he was going crazy. He thought he could here someone say "d'oh."

Sonic did as the stranger said and ran along the beach. He left a wave on the sands as he ran at top speed. He was angry and determined to destroy Metal Sonic. Still, a smug smile stayed on his lips as he ran. Metal hadn't won before, and Sonic didn't care what that cloaked weirdo tried, he wouldn't even stand when this was over.

Ahead of him, Sonic saw a red and black egg shape crawling out of the water and onto the shore. Sonic's grin got even smugger as he came to a screeching halt, covering Eggman in sand.

"Well, it's my favorite mad scientist. How are you doing this fine day?" Sonic said to Eggman like they were best friends.

Eggman coughed up sand and smiled, turning his head to Sonic. Sonic saw that Eggman's goggles were cracked, and the small glasses that rested on his huge red nose were gone, revealing his blue eyes.

"Oh, you know, a little mad after loosing my latest base to Metal Sonic… how are you doing?"

"Nice try, doc, but I know what you're up to. Now, what are you having that metal head doing? Deciding a more subtle approach in getting the emeralds?"

Eggman frowned angrily. "I'm serious, you cursed hedgehog! When my egg bots found him originally, I thought it was you attacking my base. When I saw him with that fox freak and that idiotic crocodile, I had figured you caught him and reprogrammed him." Eggman gave an evil smile. "Guess I was wrong..."

Sonic laughed. "Oh, come on, if it's not you making him act like this, what possibly could?"

"Figure .09…"

Sonic's pupils shrunk and his muzzle lost some color. "D-did you s-say…Figure.09?"

"That's right, Sonic" Eggman said getting up. "I used Figure.09 when I made him. I see now that it was a mistake… I underestimated how effective it would be." Eggman laughed his signature laugh. "It won't be much longer now. Once he has all the emeralds, you will become obsolete. He will be an unstoppable force since he is you but better."

"What about-"

"His memory? I was able to lock it away, but access to Chaos must have started breaking it. That's why he's being so 'the hero' now. I'm sure that with every emerald he gets, he remembers more and more of the past."

Sonic shook uncontrollably and sweat trickled down his quills. If Metal remembered it… that day… everything… it would be his end. Sonic could kiss his life goodbye. Sonic recomposed himself as best as he could and said shakily "How do I stop him?"

"You'll need to dismantle him completely. That's the only way. We could team up just this once. With my robots and your speed, there's no way Metal Sonic could win."

"Thanks, Eggman" Sonic said while walking away. "I have a reputation to keep. I'll get Metal my way, you get Metal your way. Why don't you use those other junk heaps you got laying around to get rid of him?"

Eggman snapped his fingers. "Brilliant! If they can't do the job, no one can!"

"Except me." With that, Sonic sped off and left Eggman in a pile of sand.

Now Sonic was not angry. He was scared. Any moment, even now, Metal could be telling someone a secret that Sonic had kept locked away for so long. So many years… he had left himself numb… it was so much easier to run than face all the pain… all alone…

He was not sure he could deal his own judgment.

-Original Author's Note-

There is something about this chapter that doesn't feel right. I've looked over it again and again, but I can't figure out what's wrong. I didn't want to not put it in because it is essential to the story and I worked hard on it, but... I guess, in a freaky and nerdy way, I don't think I put enough soul into it.

Many thanks to you all for giving me your opinions and thoughts on shadow, I now have a solid base on which I can write him into the story. Special thanks to Tutis 45 for a link to some episodes of Sonic X (I can stand the show, but some things felt too much like I was watching power rangers) and special thanks to NUTCASE1733 for in depth thoughts on Shadow.

Some of you... okay, most of you, said the sword was cool and that he should have kept it. The original purpose of the sword was for Metal to have an attack underwater, and a personal tribute to The Legend of Zelda series until I got started on my Legend of Zelda Story underway. In all honesty, this will probably be the only Sonic the Hedgehog story I will write. I have so many ideas and all of them are thirty or more chapters long.

I rant too much. Anyway, Sonic was never one to use weapons, so that was a strike against the sword. Shadow uses guns, so I guess that the sword would be like a compromise between Sonic and Shadow. If you vote yes to the sword coming back, then I will bring it back. Just be warned that I might go crazy with it and take my Legend of Zelda tribute a little too far. I hope I don't, but I have an overactive imagination, despite being conflicted.

Would anyone like to guess the significance of figure .09? Hint: if you take Sonic's last thoughts in the chapter into account and if you like metal music, you might be able to figure it out.

-Author's Note V2-

I kept the original note because so much of it was important for this chapter and the story as a whole. Everything said there still stands.


	10. Metal Vs Sonic round 1

**Metal Versus Sonic: I Hate You and You Hate Me**

Metal stared at the paper wheel he had created. This little piece of paper was an impossibility to him… yet here it was. No matter how many times he ran his finger over it and no matter where he started, the wheel only had one side that went on forever.

This is what Tails had told him. Mobian sounded very close to mobius, which lead to the Mobius strip. But it wasn't the right answer, Metal knew. And Mobius frustrated him more, as that sounded even more familiar than the other word. They were names, Metal knew… but of what, he could not say.

Still, this little strip of impossibility was fascinating. There where so many metaphors and sayings one could apply to it. The first that came to mind was that history repeated itself. Even if it happened differently, the same basic thing tended to happen. Like how he was constantly defeated or like Knuckles constant loss of the Master Emerald. Even Chaos, who had almost destroyed the echidna race, then almost destroyed Station Square, then almost had to destroy the world through Metal… almost…

Something always got in the way. Metal was convinced that Chaos, some way, some how, was going to try to destroy the world again in a millennia or two, or maybe even less. And something would surely stop him. Even if the world was destroyed in the process, Chaos would be defeated.

Just like that, Metal knew he would lose. It was fated that Sonic would always defeat him. Oh, how much hate he felt for this. For a twisted moment, he imagined himself as Sonic and Sonic as himself. He would be the hero for a change. He would get to watch oil drip from his defeated enemy and laugh.

"Metal?" called Tails to the dreaming Metal. "Are you okay? You're staring at that little piece of paper pretty hard…" Tails gave Metal a worried look.

Vector was carving at a little piece of wood. He had only just started, so you couldn't tell what he was making yet. "What's on your mind?" he said without looking away from his work. "It might sound corny, but we'll always be here for you."

Metal sighed. "Thank you…" Metal tossed the Mobius strip into the fire they had made for a camp. "But in all honesty I doubt that…"

Tails looked hurt. Metal saw this and quickly put his hands up. "No, I didn't mean like that… It's just…" Metal held his legs close. "Do you honestly think I'll win?"

Vector stopped carving and Tails looked away. Metal assumed the worst. A car came zooming down the highway.

"I wonder, then, if there is a point." Metal now really wished he had a face. So many emotions could only be expressed with eyes.

"It's not so much that we don't think we'll get all the emeralds on this crazy adventure" Vector lamented. "It's more that… that… what's the word I'm looking for?"

Tails sighed. "It's more so that we don't know how far we can actually help you…"

Metal was about to respond, but his thoughts were cut short from a horrible pang in his heart.

"Excuse me" Metal said while getting up, sounding very irritated. "I need to… take care of an issue that has been bothering me for quite some time." Metal turned and walked into the semi-darkness.

At first, Tails and Vector didn't think too much of Metal walking away. They knew he had just sailed into treacherous waters and had lost his ship. He needed some time to himself.

Tails ears twitched. He could hear something going pit-pat in the distance. Soon, Vector could hear it too. As it got close it suddenly stopped. Something skidded along the highway. There were a few metal clangs. A particularly loud clang rang. Metal, leaving a crater shaped like him, landed just a few inches from where Vector sat. Rather mechanically, Metal got up and ignited his engine. Before he could blast off, Sonic landed on him and started hitting like crazy. Sonic was bleeding from the side of his head and bits of asphalt were all over him.

Metal kicked Sonic off and pinned him to the ground. Before Metal could start unleashing his fury, he started twitching and sparking insanely. "I… must not… hurt…"

Sonic took advantage of this moment of weakness and shoved Metal off himself. Metal landed in the fire and sent hot wood on every direction. Tails fur caught on fire and he started running in circles while screaming. Sonic leapt into the air and was about to ram his fist into Metal's head, but Vector punched Sonic out of the way. Sonic flew a ways away.

Vector walked up to Metal and held out his hand. "Need a hand boss?"

"Vector…" Metal sparked. "Thank you…"

Suddenly Sonic homing attacked Vector in the back. Vector fell down and Sonic prepared another homing attack. Metal ignited and charged at Sonic. The homing attack hit dead on and knocked Metal on to the highway. A car came to a screeching halt in front of Metal. A human family inside the vehicle screamed as Metal lifted the car into the air and prepared to toss it at Sonic.

Sonic came to a halt at seeing the people inside the car.

'Stop' said Chaos in Metal's head. 'What are you doing?'

Metal felt himself calm down considerably. 'I don't know how to fight him any other way. I get so angry that Metal Sonic gets in control.'

'I understand that this is not an easy thing for you to do. But you must not forget all you have learned in your short amount of freedom. What would Tails think of you if you did what you are about to do?'

Metal looked over at Tails. Tails held his hands together and was very visibly crying. He kept mouthing 'don't do it… don't do it…'

Metal looked down at the ground. 'I can't fight Sonic and Metal Sonic at the same time.'

'Then don't. Fight Sonic and embrace Metal Sonic. He will never go away. Make Metal Sonic your friend, but tell him there are limits. Fuel your fighting with rage, and fight for the right reasons'

'But my reasons are for myself…'

'So what? Being a little selfish means you're alive. We must be selfish so we want what we need. And besides, what of Tails and Vector? Did you not promise them their fondest wishes? Fight for them, fight for their dreams.'

Slowly, Metal put the car he was holding up down. Metal took a few steps back. He knew what was coming next.

As soon as Sonic saw that the people were safe, he ran at the speed of sound at Metal. At the last second, a yellow sphere got in the way. The shockwave from Sonic's charge sent the car with the family inside flying. Metal quickly blasted off and caught the car before it could crash. He set the car down gently again. Sonic ran up to Metal and spin dashed. Metal put up his shield again and Sonic ricocheted off into the air. Metal blasted off and hit Sonic square in the gut.

This, however, was not enough to stop the blue blur. Sonic stood after he landed on the ground with a thud and spat out some blood.

"Not bad, Metal. You've gotten better."

"Thank you" said Metal, and he gave a bow. "I learned from the best."

"But you know I can't let you win."

Metal raised himself. "Who said I want to win? I want peace." Metal raised his hand and made the hippie peace sign. "You might not believe it, but I mean you no harm. I am sure, however, that no matter how hard I try, I will never convince you to trust me."

"'Fraid not."

"Well then" Metal's jet ignited. "Catch me if you can." With that, Metal started zooming along the highway. Sonic ran after him.

Tails fell down and started crying. He had no idea who to help and who to fight. What was the poor fox to do?

As Vector was about to tap Tails on the shoulder, a rather large convertible pulled next to them. In the drivers seat was a being that was about as tall as Sonic. He wore a brown cloak that hid any distinguishing features… except for what appeared to be mismatched metal gloves and his glowing red eyes.

"Need a lift?"

Metal had never actually thought about Sonic's running before. Now that he did, he realized Sonic was indeed very talented. Somehow, Sonic was running his legs at this improbable speed, dodging Metal's kicks, _and_ using his own legs to kick. Metal would have to study Sonic and find out how he did such amazing things.

Sonic had one disadvantage: Metal could fly. He couldn't be tripped like Shadow or other enemies he's had to face. And Metal knew how to use his engine in a way that allowed him to do ballerina tricks. This was definitely not the Metal Sonic Sonic knew. But he had obviously not completely awakened to his true self. Sonic might just be able to win.

Suddenly they both hit a golden wall of energy. It had just appeared out of nowhere. They looked around and saw they were now surrounded by this strange wall.

"There" the cloaked stranger said while walking up to the wall. "You have both lost your element of speed. Let's see how well you each do in hand to hand combat." Tails and Vector stood next to the stranger. Vector looked on with anticipation while tears still got caught in Tails fur.

Metal and Sonic were pretty beat by this point. Sonic was severely bruised and still was bleeding out the side of his head. Metal was scratched and dented and looked like he was going to fall apart at ant moment. But still, the fight continued. Despite Sonic not being able to run in a straight line, he was still incredibly quick. Every kick and punch Metal threw hit only the air. All the while, Metal was unable to use his jet in any productive way. Metal was able to block most of Sonic's attacks, but had no way to escape the dreaded homing attack.

The cloaked stranger chuckled as if he had just been told a joke. "Oh, dear me. It appears I have given Sonic the advantage. How careless of me. It would appear Metal is going to fall."

"You knew this was going to happen!" Tails yelled at the stranger. "Get him out of there!"

"Oh, what would that do? Metal still is no match for Sonic. Metal knows every one of Sonic's moves, and Sonic knows how to defend against them. If I released them, Sonic would still destroy him."

Vector nudged Tails aside and pointed a finger at the stranger. "I don't care what happens! Get him out of there or else!"

"Wait Vector" said Tails as he stepped in front of the stranger.

Sonic performed another homing attack on Metal. Metal hit the wall close to the stranger. He had heard everything the stranger had said. This filled him with rage and sorrow. Metal was more than a copy! He would prove it! He would come up with his own move, even if it cost him an arm.

Tails stared at the strangers glowing red eyes. There was so much wisdom in them. Tails calmed down and shut his eyes. "I've had to deal with this kind of stuff before. You know more than you let on…"

"My, you have me pinned" chimed the stranger in mock fear. "Very well. Let us just skip the witless words of wisdom and get right to the point. I will raise the wall that traps them and give you a means of silent escape" the stranger held up the keys to the convertible, "if you will give me the Rhythm Badge."

Tails gagged on his own spit. After a little coughing fit, Tails stared at the stranger, his eyes wide. "How do you know about that? !"

The stranger stood still and his voice remained calm. "Does it matter? I have given you my offer. Take it or leave it."

Vector was completely lost in this conversation. "What the heck is he talking about? ! Rhythm Badge? !"

Metal once again fell victim to Sonic's homing attack. Sonic, though while he was winning, was irked that not a piece of Metal had fallen of yet. Metal stood back up and stared at Sonic. "I hate your ugly mug."

Sonic faked a tear. "Aw, you don't think I'm cute?"

"Well, I'm going to hurt you."

Sonic released a laugh. "Oh please! You, defeat me? That's like saying I'm going for a swim tomorrow. It's not gonna happen anytime soon."

Metal sparked and his head shook. So many emotions went threw him that he couldn't count them all. He could only make out one coherent thought. 'I wish I had the power to not be him.'

Metal raised his right hand into the air. It started to glow a golden yellow light. Sonic started to run around him in a circle, expecting something like Chaos Spear to shoot from Metal's hand. Not even Metal was expecting what came next.

Metal pulled his hand back and threw it forward like he was using a whip. Five golden tentacles flew from Metal's hand, and Sonic ran into them. Like a jellyfish, the tentacles automatically wrapped themselves around sonic wherever one hit. Two tentacles wrapped around Sonic's ankles, one around his right arm, another on his torso, and the last on his neck. Slowly, the tentacles of energy starting reeling back into metal's hand, bringing Sonic ever closer.

"Hurry and decide. It looks like Sonic might be the one in danger now" the stranger said mockingly.

Tails gritted his teeth. Vector scratched his head. "If you promise to never use it against my friends, then the Rhythm Badge is yours." Tails held out a small purple tassel that looked like it was made by an ancient civilization.

"Excellent" the stranger said holding out the keys. "You have my word. And just because I feel generous, I've left a little present in the glove compartment." Suddenly a large metal rip could be heard. Everyone looked inside the ring to see Metal had lost an arm. Sonic had beaten Metal up so badly that his body could not handle the energy. Sonic had ripped his arm from its socket. The energy that held tight to Sonic disappeared. Metal fell over, with "Warning: Chaos Energy is Low!" blaring in his lenses. Sonic began to walk up to Metal.

The strangers tone remained calm. "Get Metal out of here. I'll distract Sonic." The wall slowly fell.

Sonic raised his foot over Metal's head. "You had a nice ride, bolt head. But there's only one Sonic the Hedgehog." Just as Sonic's foot came down, Tails knocked him out of the way.

Sonic stared at Tails in disbelief. "I'm sorry Sonic" Tails said while Vector started running off with Metal. "But I made a promise. And I can't go back on a promise." In jerky motions, Tails turned and started flying away.

Sonic got up and was about to chase after them, when a sword sliced the air two inches from his nose. The stranger walked in front of Sonic and held a human two handed sword with one hand. The blue jewel in its hilt glowed with the strangers hands.

"I'm sorry, Sonic, but I made a deal. You aren't going anywhere right now."

Sonic looked beyond the stranger. Tails, Vector, and Metal were gone. A car drove down the highway. Sonic took in a sharp breath. "Crap"

-break-

Tails kept his eyes on the road. He did not want to think about what had just happened. But the half dead robot leaking fluids all over his seat made it hard. Vector sat in the back, twiddling his thumbs, unable to think of anything to say.

Metal tried so hard to speak, but could not find the energy to do so. He wanted to thank them a thousand times over for proving him wrong. Metal knew he could succeed in this crazy journey if his friends helped him. It was ironic, though. He and Sonic had swapped places it seemed. Metal was usually the one to want to destroy, and Sonic was the one who simply wanted to run along with his friends. Now Sonic wanted to destroy Metal, and Metal wanted to run away with his friends. History was repeating itself… but the roles of the hedgehogs had switched.

After a while, Tails remembered what the stranger had said about the glove compartment. Tails reached over and opened it. As soon as he had opened it, he closed it back up.

"Hey, what's in there" said Vector, who had heard the glove compartment slam.

Tails did not want to answer. For if he did, he knew he would be admitting this is real. But there was no denying what he saw. Tails knew the stranger knew _way_ more than he let on. They had gotten into something that was so much bigger than they thought.

"Vector… Silver Sonic's arm is in there."

-Author's Note-

Just to clarify that last part, Silver Sonic was the robot they defeated about two chapters ago. It was made out an almost indestructible material. And somehow the cloaked guy knew Metal would be needing it.

This chapter was exciting for me to write originally. It was the second fight scene I had ever written, which worried me, and I was surprised that most people thought it was fine, even good. It was also fun because it was my first attempt at having Metal and Sonic interact. I think I caught them both pretty well here, at least my renditions of them.


	11. Metal Vs Shadow

**Metal vs. Shadow: Metal's Ethno Circus**

Metal stared at his new right arm in disbelief. It was impossible. There was no way this could actually be happening. Metal might have thrown logic away a long time ago, but this was just insanity.

But it was there. Silver Sonic's arm had become Metal's. It fit just like a glove.

How could it be possible? Silver Sonic was near indestructible. The only way Silver Sonic could have been broken apart was extreme temperatures, yet there were no burn marks on the arm or the joints. It looked like it was simply pulled off very neatly. And now, the arm was very neatly being welded into place by Tails.

Vector was talking to some car dealers about the latest models. Metal felt extremely out of place in this environment. He was surrounded by normal looking people… as normal as muscular men covered in oil looked… and none of them gave him strange looks. When they started prodding him and Tails to know what he was made of, Tails had told them that he was a sensitive being and they backed off. No one had done that before. Metal was used to people looking at him in fear, and even though that is not what he wanted anymore, he was still uncomfortable with people saying 'hi' to him.

"There" said Tails as he lifted his welding mask. "That should do it. Try it out and see if it works."

Metal stood up from the table he was laying on. He moved his new arm as perfectly as his old one. The fingers flexed, the elbow bent, the shoulder joint moved fine. It was impossible, and Metal couldn't get over it.

"It works like a new computer. So, you couldn't see any features… at all?"

Tails shook his head and shrugged his shoulders. "Nothing except his glowing red eyes. But they weren't evil. They were just… wise."

Metal started pacing in a circle. "How could he have known that I needed a new arm? And how did he get this one! I've run it through my mind a thousand times, yet there is no logical answer. I thought of Shadow, but his eyes don't glow, and last I checked he didn't have the ability to make walls."

"Speaking of strange abilities" chimed in Tails, "how did you do that whip thing?"

Metal put his hand to his chin. "I… don't really remember. It just sort of…" a very loud saw kicked in, "happened."

Tails closed his eyes and sighed. "I suppose that's usually how great things tend to happen. I figured out my ability to fly because I had to get away from people who tried to beat me up for being a freak. They threw me off a building, and I expected to fall. The next thing I knew, I was hovering in mid air"

That somewhat angered Metal. Tails did not deserve that. Very few creatures did. A sudden brain storm hit Metal. "When those savages threw you of that building, what were you feeling?"

Tails looked at Metal with a gaze that said 'uh, what did you just ask me?' "I was feeling scared out of my mind" Tails said dumbly.

"Yes, yes, of course, but were you feeling anything else? Regret for not doing anything productive in life, sadness at… never knowing your family?"

Tails turned away. "Where are you going with this?" he said somewhat annoyed.

Metal held up his new hand and pointed it, open palmed, at a nearby tool shelf. "Perhaps that is what caused our abilities to show themselves. The intense fleeting of emotions. Perhaps if I duplicate the same emotions I felt when I first performed the Whips of Chaos-"

Tails snickered quite loudly.

"Okay, so it's not that creative, but let's face it, that's what it pretty much is. At any rate, if I try to be angry, sad, and happy all at the same time, maybe I can get it to work again." Metal thought about Sonic. Then, he thought about his creation. Then he thought about Tails. Slowly, his hands started to light up with the same golden glow as before. The tentacles slowly poured out of his hand and hung limply.

For a few moments, Metal and Tails were still. "Uh… if I could sweat drop right now, I would very well be doing that."

Tails fell on the floor and started laughing his tails off. Metal grunted and shook his hand, thus shaking the tentacles. He tried another approach. He imagined his thoughts and feelings constricting the Philips head that was closest to him. He imagined that his thoughts were as solid as his arm. Yes, be specific. If the emerald turned thoughts into power, than think powerful thoughts.

As sudden as a cobra, the tentacles came to life and snatched the screw driver and brought it to Metal while the tentacles receded. It all happened in .27 seconds. Tails had stopped laughing.

Vector slapped Metal's back. "Are we done here? We've been at this city for hours and haven't seen hide nor hair of the guy we're lookin for. The only thing I've seen is smog, dead trees, and some none too nice lookin kids. If we want to find Shadow, I say we cause a problem and draw him out."

Metal stood from where he had fallen. His mismatched hand had crushed the tool he was holding. "Uh… I hope I don't have to pay for that."

Tails started poking Vector in the stomach and talking to him like he was his mother. "We will do no such thing! You don't know who might get hurt, or what you'll break! And besides that, what do you think will happen to us? 'Oh, we didn't mean to cause that guy internal bleeding, but we needed to find a psycho hog, that's okay right?' Yeah. I see that working."

Metal felt a strange urge. It was much like the urge that had him walk to that park where he met Chaos. And Metal could not resist this simple, yet powerful urge.

Metal's jet ignited and he zoomed out the workshops garage door. He hated leaving Tails and Vector behind like that, but he had to do this, he knew. Metal zipped along the roads and tall buildings, not really sure where he was going. A right past the hospital, left at that fast food place, another left at the park, down the business district…

Smoke and fire trucks were everywhere. A bright light was blaring with the sun and blinding Metal. He quickly switched to a non glare vision and got close.

A five story hotel was currently burning to a crisp. The fire had obviously become too large to put out, and the human fire fighters had given up by this point.

"No!" a raccoon man called while fire fighters were pulling him back. "My wife and son are still in there! Let me die with them if you can't save them!"

"Sir, we need you to calm down." The fighter that said that looked at the other one. "Get the knockout gas, Randy."

"No!" Metal called as he walked up to the three of them.

"Great, a nut job in a tin can Sonic costume. Listen bud, this ain't no time to pretend to be a super hero. Get out of here and-" Two golden whips grabbed the fighters around their necks and conked their heads together. Cliché, but effective.

"Sir" said Metal calmly to the raccoon, "On what floor did you see your family last?"

The raccoon stared at Metal for a moment, and then stuttered, "Th-th- third floor, room t-tw-two twenty-eight."

"Stay here." Metal ran past all the fighters and ran threw the front door. Metal started running through the fire, untouched and unfazed by the flames that licked his entire being. What was a thing made of metal supposed to fear in this kind of environment? The only thing that scared Metal was the foundation. Charging straight through the walls might cause the whole building to fall down faster than it would already.

As Metal started running up the stairs, he switched to x-ray vision. Above him, he could see two beings hiding in one corner of a room. Across from them stood another being that stood tall and powerful despite the situation. For some reason, the powerful looking one was standing in place and looking around as if trying to find something. Metal ran up the next flight up stairs and turned off his x-ray vision. Down the hall where Metal saw the three beings, a hole had been blown in where a door stood. Metal ran in front of the hole and saw Shadow the Hedgehog staring around a wall of fire, frantically trying to find a way to the other side without breaking anything that would cause the room to fall in.

Then Shadow noticed Metal. Their eyes met. They didn't move.

A beam above them broke and the mother raccoon screamed. Metal ran past Shadow and jumped through the fire.

"You'll never be able to get them through the fire! They can't handle the heat!" Shadow called from the other side.

Metal looked at the mother and child raccoons. They sat in the corner covered in ash. It was amazing that they hadn't caught on fire. Metal walked up to them and they panicked slightly. "Please, don't hurt us!" the mother raccoon begged.

"You're husband sent for me. He said he would hurt himself if he didn't have you. Does that sound like him?" Metal held out his hand.

"… Thank you" was all she could say. Metal picked them up and held them in his arms.

"Shadow, is there anyone else in the building?"

"No… everyone is out" called Shadow calmly.

"Shadow, I'm going to do something drastic. I can't get these people out of here without them catching on fire or bringing the building down. You'd better get out of here, because I'm going to do the later." Metal surrounded himself in his yellow shield and lifted himself a few inches of the floor.

"I know who you are and I know what you want! Meet me at the Nature's Eye Park later if you want get it." Metal heard a few foot steps and then mini jets. Metal flared his own jet at full force.

"Hold on" he said the people in his arms. Metal bolted through the roof, his shield deflecting everything that tried to do them harm. As Metal blasted through the roof, the rest of the building came toppling down.

Metal hovered over the wreckage and surveyed all that he had done. Did he really just save someone's life? Was he really the person all those people down there were cheering for?

"Thanks" the little raccoon boy said meekly. "You're a good a hero as Sonic the hedgehog…"

As good a hero. Yes, Metal liked hearing that.

Metal hovered over the crowd, scanning for the raccoon father. When at last Metal spotted him, Metal saw that he was crying tears of joy and reaching for his family"

"Oh, thank you, thank you!" he said over and over again as he cradled and held his family. "How can we ever repay you sir? You have a heart that must be in overdrive to be so kind mister… uh… what is your name?"

Metal hadn't thought that far ahead. He stood still for a moment as he thought. "Uh… Metal… uh… Metal… Overdrive! Yes, Metal Overdrive!" he announced heroically as he placed his arms on his hips like a super hero.

"Oh thank you Metal Overdrive!" Suddenly Metal was attacked by news reporters and camera flashes.

"Sorry I have to go" Metal said to the family he had saved. "It would have been nice to get to know you personally, you seem like such a nice family, but I can't seem to go anywhere without attracting a crowd." Metal and the raccoon father shook hands just before Metal took off in to the sky.

-break-

It was sunset when Metal, Tails, and Vector walked into the park in The Dark Metrople city limits. They were surprised, to say the least, to see how clean it was compared to the rest of the city. The various ponds were clean, the ground not covered with any trash, the amount of trees that looked alive and well.

"So, you met Shadow while you were saving a family from a burning building" said Tails for the twenty-sixth time. "That's such a strange picture to imagine. And he told you to meet him here?"

Metal released an annoyed sigh. "Yes, he'll be here. And we've already established how weird it looked. Can we please drop it?"

"Are you prepared?" asked Vector while messing with his headphones.

"For what?"

"For a fight! I'm willing to bet he doesn't want to give up the emerald without a fight."

Metal was about to respond to that when a sudden question started nagging at him. Metal turned around and asked, "How are you listening to music?"

Vector raised a brow. "Wha do ya mean?"

"Those headphones don't lead to a cd player, so how do you play music on that thing?"

Vector remained silent. "I'm… not really sure…"

"Are you done being the three stooges? I want to get this over with." Shadow, without any dramatic entrance what so ever, walked up to the three of them.

Tails stared at Shadow. Shadow gave him a stone cold stare and scowl. Tails eeped and he and Vector backed up a few steps. Metal put his hand up. "It's been a while, Shadow."

Shadow actually shook hands with Metal. "Yeah…" They put their hands down and Shadow pulled out the green emerald. "This is what you came for, right?"

Metal stared at the marvelous gem. If he had real eyes, they'd have been glazed over. "Yes. We require it for a special project of ours."

Shadow's face remained rather stiff. "I trust you are no longer the robot Sonic is always raving about… but how can I trust that you aren't up to anything that some people would consider wrong?"

Metal started doing hand motions. "Well, even if I were doing something unethical, it doesn't really matter. You owe me."

Shadow squinted his eyes. "That should be payback for things you've done wrong."

"But what have I done wrong to you?"

The question hung in the air for a moment. Shadow stared intently at Metal. Metal stood still.

"Very well" said Shadow as he backed up. "Fight me for it."

"Told ya."

"If I win, you give me what emeralds you have. You win you get my emerald and-"

"That's not fair! One emerald is not worth two emeralds!" yelled Tails defensively.

Metal put his hand to his face. "Tails, did it ever cross your mind that he was playing a trick on you to get you to say things that he wants to know?"

Shadow grunted in an annoyed way. "As I was saying, you win, you get the emerald _and _my help. Whatever you're doing, I'll help with it. I'll help you find the remaining emeralds and help with whatever."

"Alright, I'll accept after we set a few ground rules. One, no using pedestrians and such as shields."

"Agreed."

"Two, no speeding off. We stay in the general area."

"Very well. Rule three, you and me only, no help from your buds right there."

"Right then. How will the winner be decided?"

"The first one the fall on the ground and not get up will be the loser."

"Okay then." Metal pulled Vector and Tails to the side. "I just need to talk to these guys for a second."

Metal, Tails, and Vector huddled up. "What are you doing? He's going to destroy you!" Tails whispered insanely.

"Under normal circumstances he probably would. But I actually have a fool proof plan of action against Shadow. The only thing I'm not prepared for is his Chaos Spear, and those should be relatively easy to avoid. Vector, I need you to think of a song or tune that is extremely catchy, has obnoxious words, and loops. Know any?"

"Yeah… as a matter of fact I do."

Shadow stood where he was, surveying the three of them. He pondered the wonder that was the three of them working together. How had the fox kid and that oaf of a crocodile gotten involved in this? You couldn't tell by his facial expression, but he really wanted to ask what they were doing here. Now that he thought about it, he didn't even know any of their names. He only knew Sonic as a rival, and the person that got closest to him wasn't exactly a nice person. But that's what comes with pain and promises, a scarred past and the desire to not exist… or for the rest of the world to not exist.

"That's perfect. That will do the trick for sure." Metal said quite loudly. Shadow smiled to himself. Yes, they could do all they could, but no matter what Shadow would win. He was the ultimate life form. The ultimate, period.

"All right. This will work." The three broke from their circle. Metal walked over to Shadow. "Alright, are we ready?"

Shadow smirked rather evilly. "Yes. Let's get started."

From Metal, the strangest song Shadow had ever heard started to play. It was very loud, and sounded like a bizarre circus. If Shadow had to pick one word to describe the song, it would be obnoxious.

In time with the music, Metal made a 'come on' gesture with his hands. Shadow charged at him. Metal took two steps to the left in, in time with the music, then two steps to the right, in time with the music. Shadow braked and turned around. Metal was bobbing left and right to the beat of the song, simply waiting for Shadow to come at him again. Shadow grinded his teeth and ran up to Metal. He leaped in the air and performed a flying kick. Metal grabbed it like it was nothing. Shadow pulled away from his grip and tried to hit Metal multiple times. Metal, using only his right arm, blocked all of Shadow's attacks. In time with a rather shiny sounding part of the song, Metal landed many hits and two hard kicks on Shadow, sending him flying a few feet away. Shadow stood back up, with nothing injured except his pride.

Metal started walking up to Shadow, each step he took in time with the beat. Shadow put his hands up, ready for a barrage of attacks. Just as the weird singer stopped singing, Metal quickly glided behind Shadow, without Shadow noticing, and started attacking Shadow from the back in time with the quicker beat.

Off to the side, Vector was slightly dancing to The Ethno Circus while Tails stared stupidly at the fight.

"What exactly is going on?" asked Tails while pointing at who was know dodging Shadow's hits and kicks… he was even dodging the homing attack.

Vector chuckled. "He's using psychological warfare on Shadow. You noticed how Shadow has skates, right?"

"Right."

"Well, in order for Shadow to move in them, he has to keep a rhythm going on between his feet. I bet that's how he moves with everything. So, throw in a song and Shadow will probably fallow the beat without even realizing it. Metal's basically making Shadow move slower."

"That's… a little anticlimactic" Tails said as he turned back to the fight.

Shadow had by now figured out what Metal was doing. And boy, Shadow felt stupid. Slowed down by a stupid song. He would never hear the end of it from Rouge. Oh, and now Metal was using some kind of freaking whip thing to try and grab him. This just kept getting better and better.

"That's it!" Shadow screamed with his eyes bloodshot with rage. Shadow leaped back and got as much distance as he could from Metal. For no reason except to taunt Shadow, Metal had stuck the ends of his whips to the opposite side of his chest and started to strum them with his left hand like a guitar. It was cool looking, in Metal's opinion.

"I'll show you the true power of Chaos!" Shadow's left hand started to glow. A ball shape formed.

"Chaos Spear!" Shadow yelled as he tossed the energy at Metal. Metal put up his yellow shield, but the Chaos Spear went right threw it. Instead of a large explosion, it was contained inside the yellow shield. It opened up, revealing a smoke covered Metal. The music had stopped.

"It's times like these where I'm glad I don't have nerves." Metal shook himself. Shadow charged another Chaos Spear and threw it. Metal put up his arms. The spear hit, but broke like glass when it hit Metal's right arm. Metal and Shadow were both stunned for a moment.

Shadow gritted his teeth and threw another Chaos Spear. Metal tried something really out there. He actually _caught_ the spear. Everyone stood still, except for Metal, who bounced the spear in his hand.

"Wow… this is pretty interesting. I wonder if it stills packs all of it's potency after you've tossed it. Let's find out." Metal threw the spear at Shadow.

"Chaos Control!" called Shadow and he warped away. Metal, foreseeing this possible defense, had attached a tentacle to the spear and used it to pull the spear back.

Shadow appeared behind Metal and kicked him out of the way. Shadow smirked for a moment before falling victim to his own magnificent attack. The Chaos Spear made a large explosion and a lot of smoke.

As the smoke cleared, Shadow wobbled and swayed. He looked like he was going to fall. Shadow stood still for a moment, his eyes wide in astonishment.

"How… could I lose… to a machine?"

"I'm not a machine…" said Metal as he walked over to Shadow. "Machines don't do the things I've done. They can't change and learn from variables."

Shadow looked down, his eyes still wide. "… What is it… that you want from me?"

"We want our wishes granted. I want to be a living creature. Tails wants love. Vector wants treasure enough so that he may live in peace. But don't change the subject. You were going easy on me… why?"

Shadow smirked. "You're going to make me say it… aren't you?"

"Yes." Shadow could here the warm smugness in his voice.

"I… owe you, for lack of a better term."

"Are you sure it isn't for lack of a nicer term?"

"Shut up you damn robot. What was the name of that stupid song?"

"Ethno Circus"

"How fitting… we're a band of ethno freaks. A two tailed freak, an idiot freak, a mechanical freak, and an abomination of man kind… can't get more ethnic than that."

"Shadow… what do you wish for? I'm not going to let you help me without you getting something out of this."

Shadow huffed a few times. "There is nothing that I wish for… I have thought about it… but I don't want it… Just take it…" Shadow shakily held out the green emerald.

Metal touched it. Both Metal and Shadow were shocked by massive amounts of Chaos energy.

Again, Metal found himself in the presence of the scientist. "What do you think the world will be like, Henry, when the Chaos Emeralds have sucked all the negative energy away?"

The next voice came from Metal… or at least it seemed to. "It will be peaceful and all that stuff. No more wars or anything."

Shadow had also seen into this vision. And he recognized the scientist with the bushy mustache. But he did not recognize the brown hedgehog that looked ten years old.

Metal and Shadow were both visibly smoking. Rather slowly, they both fell forward, hitting each other in the process. They both dreamed peacefully that night.

-Author's note-

Lordy, the way the title is dropped in this chapter makes me cringe looking back. I also do not like the fight scene because of how short it is, and really only used 'Shadow holding back' as an excuse for my own shortcomings. It seems believable, but still… urk!

The Conflicted Writer


	12. Metal Vs Metal round 2

**Metal vs. Metal: Regarding Memories**

"I really think I should drive" said Tails as he clung to his seat for dear life.

Shadow grunted and replied, "And I really think you should shut up. I'm the one with the innate ability to track down emeralds and the one that has to figure out where to go. So, I suggest you pipe down."

Metal also clung to his seat. "Look, Shadow, I want to get the emeralds as fast as possible, but do we really have to drive through a corn field!" he said frantically.

Vector up chucked out the window.

Shadow grunted… he does that a lot. "This is the quickest way I can find. Besides, my driving isn't hurting anything."

"Oh really" Metal said in a passive voice. A thump was suddenly heard. "The scarecrow on the windshield says otherwise."

"What is the problem? Do you want me to get you there or not?"

"What I want is for you to tell me what you're problem is. Why do you have such a disregard for anyone's safety?" Metal asked while a tractor chased them.

"Like any of you would care" said Shadow as he made a sharp left to get back on the road. "Most of you have lived cushy lives, so you have no idea what I've seen."

Vector pulled hid head back in as the road smoothed out. "We would if you told us" Vector moaned with his eyes shut tight.

That statement sparked Metal, for they knew nothing of the black hedgehog that was currently driving like a maniac. All that Metal knew was what notes were left from the Space Colony Ark, and that wasn't much. All Metal really knew was that Shadow was created for the benefit of-and then the destruction of-man kind. And then there was notes about a girl, Maria, thought Metal, though she was not mentioned very often, so it seemed unlikely that she was a key factor.

Metal did something bold just then. "Shadow… I resent you for that statement."

Tails and Vector gasped and quickly hid in the trunk.

Shadow turned his head towards Metal. "And what might be the reason for that?" Shadow had the slightest hint of humor in his voice.

Metal's voice scowled as best as it could. "How do you know what these people have gone through? Until yesterday, you didn't even know their names."

Shadow turned his head back to the road. "So what? No matter what you say, it's the truth. That little fox cowering in back is the perfect example of a semi-normal person. He's afraid because he had some sort of parental guidance to keep him pampered and cushy. He was trained from birth that he was worthwhile, and that has made him weak. If he lived like I lived, he would be tougher."

Metal griped the steering wheel from Shadow and ran the car off the road. Shadow braked and slammed his head into the steering wheel.

Metal jumped out and opened the trunk. Shadow grinded his teeth and walked out of the car while glowing red… literally.

Shadow dimmed as he saw Metal cradling Tails in his arms and rocking him slightly. Tails was sniffling softly and tears were rolling down his cheeks. Shadow raised an eyebrow yet remained stone cold.

Metal stared at Shadow for a moment.

Vector was still in the trunk.

Metal, still holding Tails, spoke to Shadow softly. "You do not know what you speak of. Tails isn't 'weak', as you put it, because he was raised that way… he's this way because he had no parents in the first place. No one knows what happened to them. They could have been killed. More likely, they abandoned him because of his gift…"

Shadow's eyebrow rose further, then both rose all the way when he took a good look at Tails's tails. That was an abnormality. Tails was rejected… just like him…

"So before you accuse someone of having a worse life, check you're facts. I don't know what you've been through, but it can't be any worse than being rejected by you're reasons for existence" Metal retorted with his voice rising.

Shadow griped his fists and a tear ran down his cheek. For a few minutes, no one moved.

"So, I see you've been building up you're little army of weirdoes." Shadow and Metal turned as the cloaked stranger walked from behind a tree. "Sonic sure has a lot to deal with now."

"You" Metal seethed. "What do you want?"

The stranger chuckled. "Just reliving some memories. I was wondering if Shadow wanted to talk about" the stranger turned to Shadow and his glowing eyes turned up a notch, "… Maria?"

Shadow's pupils shrunk and he charged at the stranger. A yellow wall stopped him. "Shadow, did I say something rude?"

Shadow banged and kicked at the wall while glowing red again. "How-do-know-her!" Shadow cried between hits. The stranger waved his hand and Shadow fell limp while his chaos power faded.

"Because" said the stranger as he walked past Shadow who lay on the ground, "You told me about her."

Metal set Tails in the car and took on a fighting stance. "What do you want?"

"To give a gift." The stranger reached into his cloak and pulled out a short sword. "Do you recognize this?"

Metal lost his guard and stared at the sword, the jewel in its hilt glowing with a new vibrancy. "How… How did you get that?"

The stranger's tone grew serious. "It was not yours for the taking, but it is yours for the receiving, and will be yours for giving. Remember that." The stranger threw to sword into the air. "Catch it with your whips and latch it to your soul. Make yourself different from what you are."

The sword glinted in the sunlight. Metal tossed his whips to the sword and brought it to his hand. The jewel grew even brighter.

Metal held up the sword to the light, looking very heroic indeed. "This feels… right…"

"Destiny can not be denied. But destiny can be rewritten. Beware of the temptation to do the right thing for the wrong reasons." The stranger stared Metal down and Metal returned the gesture.

"But why?" asked Tails while wiping his eyes. "Why are you helping us? What could you gain from us getting the emeralds?"

The stranger stared down the road. A blue dot was coming up fast. "Whatever Metal gains, I gain. And Metal shall gain many things… It is prewritten and can't be denied… What shall come to be…

"Speaking of what's coming, Rocket Sonic is coming 'round. He should be easy for the four of you."

The stranger was suddenly knocked away and impaled into a tree. In his place now was a short blue robot with three really long spikes coming out of the back of its head. Instead of hands, it had white claws that made one think of a crane game. Its arms and legs were also white, as well as its face. Like Metal, he possessed glowing red eyes and an engine coming out of its back. Unlike Metal's, the engine was large and looked capable of launching at rocket ship speeds.

"Metal Sonic" it said in a monotone voice, "by the decree of the great Doctor Robotnik, you are to be disabled and destroyed. Surrender yourself immediately."

Metal shook his head and pointed his sword at Rocket Sonic. "Do you honestly think I'll say yes? Go tell Eggman to shove it."

Rocket Sonic transformed slightly so that he was incredibly pointy and shot forward like a… rocket. Metal blasted upwards, letting Rocket Sonic impale their car. The car split in half as Rocket Sonic ran through, missing Vector by a few inches. Vector yelled and jumped out of the way just in time, as the remaining pieces of their vehicle exploded.

For a moment all was quiet. Metal, Tails, and Vector regrouped and stood back to back. Shadow was lying near a tree and panting slightly, still not recuperated 100 percent. The stranger held his hands, which glowed a fine yellow, over Shadow. "All I did was say something about Maria… I didn't even insult her memory. Your temper and lack of acceptance from others will be your downfall."

Shadow could not move. Rather, he didn't feel like he could. Shadow looked up at the stranger. In the stranger's hands a red orb with a black center was forming. At first, Shadow was to believe that orb was going to be used as a weapon against him. Then, Shadow noticed that wisps of energy were coming from his chest, making the orb a little larger with each fill.

As Metal, Tails, and Vector were on guard for a return attack, they failed to notice what the stranger was doing. "Alright, what are we dealing with here, boss?" whispered Vector to Metal.

Metal looked in every direction he could. "Rocket Sonic is one of the fastest and hardest to hit. If you can find a way to hit him, he's relatively easy to destroy… duck!" The three ducked out of the way just in time as Rocket Sonic flew over where they stood. Metal tossed his whips but missed by a long shot. Rocket Sonic turned around and came at Tails. Metal leaped in front of Tails in time to block with his blade. Damn, that sword was tough. Rocket Sonic still shot forward, but Metal held it in place with his sword and was able to reinforce it. With a majestic swish and flurry, Metal pushed Rocket Sonic up into the air. Metal put up his shield as Rocket Sonic returned with the full force of gravity on its side. A crater thirty feet around was formed as Rocket Sonic impacted.

Rocket Sonic became stuck in the ground and had to revert to normal to get out. When it finished changing back, Metal flung himself out of the ground and began hacking at Rocket Sonic with his sword. A few deep cuts and leaks was what Metal could get in before it transformed back and shot away.

The Sonic robots could adapt, so there was no pulling that stunt again. If only Metal could slow down time to a snails pace or make his thoughts and reflexes faster, then he could time his whips right and get a good beating in.

Tails latched himself to rocket Sonic and tried to find some sort of weak spot. The only thing Tails was able to do was open his circuits before falling off three hundreds yards away from the rest of the group.

When Rocket Sonic came back, Vector tried his best to catch the lightning fast dart, and even managed to, but not without Rocket Sonic stabbing him in the stomach.

Metal had come out of the hole in time to see Vector struggling to not let Rocket Sonic go all the way through him. For Metal, everything slowed down. Metal could hear Vector's heart beating in fear. Metal could hear every gear turning in Rocket Sonic.

And time did not speed back up. Metal tried to move. He moved so slow, so achingly slow. And Metal was thinking, thinking faster than time… or time had slowed down everything but his thought process. Either way, this opened many possibilities.

Metal tossed his whips at Rocket Sonic. Rocket Sonic back up away from Vector and started to zip past. Through the power of thinking before acting, Metal was able to shift his hand slightly, as it was still in the process of using inertia, to redirect his whips in another direction and latch to Rocket Sonic. For Metal, time sped up as he spun Rocket Sonic around and around and around, and finely crashing it into the ground again. The jewel in the hilt of Metal' blade glowed with his hands. Metal charged at Rocket Sonic as it pulled itself from the ground and slashed at a speed that he did not use under water. Rocket Sonic lost all of its main points and aerodynamic spikes.

But still the robot could walk and punch. How could Metal forget Rocket Sonic's original fighting design? Still, with sword in hand, this would be easier than challenging Sonic to a race.

"Let me" stated Shadow as he stepped between Metal and Rocket Sonic. Shadow sounded different. Rocket Sonic took a step forward. Shadow snapped his fingers. Rocket Sonic fell to pieces.

Shadow grinned a surprisingly realistic grin. One might go far enough to say he was amused. "I hope we get to do this again sometime" Shadow said bluntly. "I haven't felt so good in a _long_ time."

"Unless you're willing to change yourself, there is a very poor chance you will stay that way" the stranger said. Shadow and Metal turned around to see him bouncing a glass ball with a bitch black center and red highlights. "I hope you don't mind, but I took a little of your rage as a souvenir." The stranger stepped over Vector, who was breathing heavily. "It'll grow back…"

Metal looked at Vector and then the stranger. "You knew this was going to happen…" Metal's voice was full of hate and he tightened his grip on his blade. "Didn't you?"

Shadow raised an eyebrow and looked with genuine worry at Vector. He had not noticed what happened to him. Shadow ran over to inspect him.

The stranger and Metal stared each other down. "… So what if I did?"

Metal charged at the stranger intent on killing. But when Metal reached him, he passed through the stranger, but not without seeing something. He saw a dark forest. He saw a bright forest. He saw water. He saw a town. He saw the sun. He saw snow. He saw time and space. He saw a brown hedgehog. He saw a large robot. He saw a storm. He saw his dreams.

Metal turned around and stared the stranger down again. "What are you?"

The stranger stared up into the sky. "I am nothing. I do not exist yet, and shan't exist for a while. I have you to thank for my being here, yet as long as you can be, I can not." The stranger looked back at Metal and took on his sarcastic tone again. "Have you already forgotten the powers you stole from Chaos? They may be mere fragmented memories, but you must have enough power to help the oaf. And the three emeralds you possess should sweeten the deal nicely." Metal turned to Vector and Shadow. Shadow held his hand over vector and was trying to heal him.

Metal came over and nudged Shadow aside. "That won't work with that hunk of junk stuck in him." Metal's tentacles slowly came from his hands and reached into Vector's bowels. Metal gripped the whips and tugged out a sharp piece oh metal. He tosses it aside and pulled out the white emerald and the green emerald and held them over Vector's wound. The emeralds glowed with their mysterious light that seemed to make sunlight dull. The wound began to heal and slowly grow closed. As soon as it completely closed, the emeralds glow stopped and metal fell over Vector as close to shut down as Vector was to unconsciousness.

Shadow stared wide eyed and mouth agape. Only someone like himself could pull off a stunt like that. True, Shadow wouldn't have passed out, but the feat was amazing none the less.

Shadow stood and turned to the stranger. Shadow was not sure how to feel at the moment. His rage had been stolen. That was the only thing he had felt for so long. The stranger chuckled. "Your anger will come back soon enough, and then you can hate me all you want. But is that really what Maria would want? She said give everyone the chance to be happy. I believe that includes you as well." The stranger turned around.

"Wait!" Shadow called. "When did I tell you about Maria? How much do you actually know!"

The stranger's hands glowed. "You told me everything" the stranger said slowly. "One more thing for Metal. You will come across a rather unfriendly looking woods soon. Go through it. You will reach your initial goal faster. And he will regret it forever if he does not. Now, I must take my leave. Chaos Control!" The stranger disappeared in a flash of yellow light.

Tails flew into the area to see Rocket Sonic torn to pieces, Metal and Vector passed out, and Shadow staring off into the distance with his hand reaching out to nothing.

Tails huffed and crossed his arms. "Great, what did I miss this time?"

-Author's Note-

A whole chapter without a break? What madness is this?

I'm still a sucker for those Metal Sonic characters. I just think they're so awesome. Actually, I think any doppelganger is awesome, but mostly the robotic kind. I guess… I don't know, I can relate to them. I have aspergers syndrome, like so many other writers here, and that means you're socially awkward and unsure of what you actually are. I look at other people and think to myself "I wish I were them. I wish I were real". I don't feel like I'm human, and I'd sometimes give anything to be someone else. Metal feels that way too, I bet.

So robots all through gaming, from the Metal Sonics to GLaDOS, have a special meaning to me. To be a mockery of life… what a fun way to exist…

Anyway, not much on the chapter itself. Oh, by the way, DanceDream, thanks for all your reviews. I'd PM you and say that, but you are anonymous and I can't.

The Conflicted Writer

P.S. sorry this is taking so long to reupload. I'm kind of… busy with another writing project, fanfic related. I know, all you long time readers what me to get this over with, but something has caught my eye on the internet and I can't help but write a story for a contest. If you want to know about it, I can tell you. I'd say it here, but I'm a little embarrassed by it.


	13. The Haunted Mansion

**The Haunted Mansion, Shadow's Tale, and the Hedgehog of Destiny**

The forest was haunted. Even someone who believed otherwise would think so.

Just ask Shadow the Hedgehog. A few minutes ago, he didn't believe that giant white sheets could throw blue fire balls. Now, as he skated through the forest dragging a screaming Tails with him, his exact reply to the question of ghosts existing would be 'F**k Yeah!"

Now, as most people know, ghosts are pretty much invulnerable, and if you were to meet one, there is little chance of escape because of all their weird powers. If passing through walls and possessing people is easy for them, it can't be that hard for a ghost to distort Chaos energy.

Metal carried Vector along as he swayed through trees dodging fireballs, his sword strapped to his side.

"Boss!" cried Vector. "Do ya have any ideas on what we should do in this situation? !"

Metal looked behind him. The blue lipped specter was catching up to them fast. "Do you have any large source of light on you?" called Metal over the blasting from his own engine.

"No!"

Metal turned his head back forward. "Then all we can do is run!" he cried while frantically dodging another fire ball. Metal and Shadow regrouped and drew closer.

"We can't keep this up forever!" Shadow yelled as a fireball barely missed him. "If we don't do something soon, we're toast!"

Suddenly, the blue lipped ghost screamed a scream that would have a dead guy turning in his grave… considering the circumstances, that probably wasn't too shocking. The four heroes fell to the ground, three gripping their ears and one short circuiting. The screaming didn't last too long, however.

Shadow, Tails, and Vector looked back in the direction of the ghost to see it floating away as fast as it chased them.

"Okay… that was weird" said Vector as he scratched his head.

"What happened?" questioned Tails as he shook himself. "What could have scared _that_?"

Shadow turned around to see Metal staring at something. Shadow tapped Vector and Tails' shoulders. "I think I see what he was afraid of." Tails and Vector turned around to see a large, creepy, decaying, moldy, spooky, disgusting, and broken down old mansion sitting very creepily at the top of a small hill.

Metal sparked again. "That scream shorted out a few of my workings. I'll be fine, just need to rewire some things, should only take a twenty minutes."

Tails gulped, because Metal wasn't at one hundred percent capacity and would not be able to protect him, and that the creepy mansion was obviously a prerequisite for something bad.

"We're not going in there… are we?" asked Tails as he turned to Metal.

Metal shook his head. "Considering the fact that a _ghost_ ran away screaming from this place, I don't think it would be a good idea."

Shadow tried to summon his personal chaos energy into a Chaos Spear, but it fizzled out in his hand. "Whatever's hear, it's also canceling my Chaos powers. We're not leaving this place until morning."

Tails knees were knocking together. Even standing three stone throws away from the house was not enough to feel safe. Suddenly, Tails was picked up. At first he let out a small cry, but stopped when he saw it was Metal holding him.

Vector chuckled slightly. Shadow stared at Metal. "Why are you doing that?"

It took metal a second to realize the question was for him. "To comfort Tails."

"But that's demeaning. Don't you care what people think about you?"

"Are you trying to tell me it's a bad thing that I'm helping a friend? I really don't care what people think of me, I only care of what my friends think of me, and if someone doesn't think nicely of me, than they're not my friend. Are you my friend, Shadow?"

Shadow turned his head the other way. He still did not have his anger, so he wasn't sure how to feel. "… Yeah… sorry."

"Wow, an apology" chuckled Vector. "That must have been painful-oof!" Shadow hit Vector in the gut, not very hard, but enough to make vector fall on his knees.

Suddenly it started to rain. "That's strange… my sensors aren't detecting the right atmospheric pressure for this kind of weather" said Metal as he looked up at the sky.

Vector scratched his head.

"That means it's not the right set up for it to rain" said Tails, unknowingly clinging to Metal.

Shadow squinted his eyes at the mansion. "I'm beginning to think that whatever's in that house wants us to go in after it."

"That's illogical" said Metal. "If that were the case, lightning would strike here." About now is when Metal learned the meaning of the phrase 'jinxing it'. A lightning bolt hit the ground three feet from where Metal stood causing everyone to jump.

"Doesn't metal attract lightning strikes?" huffed Shadow while looking at Metal and Tails. Tails gave a quick stare at Metal and yelped as he jumped out of Metal's arms.

"Oh, thanks."

"Don't worry" said Vector. "Lightning never strikes the same place twice."

"You do know that's just a myth, right?"

Vector went wide eyed. "Yaaaaaaah!" he yelled as he ran for the mansion. Shadow shook his head and skated after him.

Tails, with his teeth clenched, turned his head to Metal. Metal looked at the mansion. This was going to be a long night.

-break-

Tails twisted one of his tails and water dripped out by the pint. Shadow looked around the foyer, trying to spot anything out of the ordinary. Everything was dusty. That was about it.

"Wooh, this place needs a maid" Vector said as he climbed the nearby stairs. Portraits hung from the walls, there were coffee tables here and there and a chandelier hung from the ceiling. And as Vector slid his hand on the banister, he would have agreed with Shadow on the dusty part.

Metal stepped into the center of the room and started looking around as well. None of his scanners and bonus functions were working, still being shorted out from the high pitched scream. "As long as we stay in this room, we should be fine. If we all stay in this room and don't do like idiots in movies do, than everything will be okay."

Shadow sat down at the foot of the stairs. Metal sat with him. "Shadow… the weight of the world is easier to carry with a friend…"

Shadow shook his head and sighed. "Don't use cryptic metaphors… I've had enough of those."

Shadow stared at Metal. "I'll tell you why I am this way… just know that it's because of the fox-I mean Tails- that I'm doing this… we're friends… but I would not have told you otherwise."

Tails sat in front of them, solemn faced and tails wagging.

"The ultimate life form" Shadow began, "do you know what that means for life as we know it?"

"What does that have to do with you, Shadow?" asked Tails. Shadow inwardly smiled at how nice Tails was with wording the question.

Metal snapped his gloved fingers. "That's right! You and your friends have never really learned about that."

Shadow started again. "The ultimate life form is what I am, or as close as they could get. I was the primary project on the Space Colony: ARK."

"You're a creation?"

"Yes… kinda strange. Looking back now, it doesn't seem possible for that time era. In any case, I was the main focus of almost everybody. They had spent millions of tax payer's dollars trying to perfect the project. Everything before me was a failure.

"The lead scientist on the project was Professor Gerald Robotnik, grandfather to Eggman and… Maria…" Shadow closed his eyes and took in a sharp breath.

"Before the trip to space, Gerald had paid a visit to an ancient shrine, which spoke of the Echidna race's downfall and a prophecy for the coming of the God of Destruction. In it was a detailed stone picture of a mighty golden spiked hero that would save the world from the God of Destruction. I'm guessing that prophecy has already come true and I missed it." Shadow chuckled slightly.

"Professor Gerald originally was using lizards for the ultimate life form, but he later believed the fact that the hero being a hedgehog was significant, so that is why I'm one. In the shrine, however, he also found a way to contact beings from another place. That will be significant later in.

"When they started creating the project, all attempts had died before even being born. The doctor was losing his credibility, and losing one other thing. The original purpose for the ultimate life form was three things: immortality, the perfect fighter, and the cure for every disease known to man.

"My fur kills bacteria before they even get in me, and even if germs manage to, my immune system fends them off and destroys them on contact. I can't be poisoned, cancer can't touch me, and anything deadly you can think of is useless.

"The thing is… what possible reason is there for a little girl to be up on the most advanced piece of earth technology off earth? The only reason is because she was sick. Rather, if she got sick, she died. Her immune system was weak. So weak that the slightest sneeze might have killed her. On the ARK, everything was sterile and clean. Gerald was creating me to save her… if I could be perfected, my DNA could've saved her…

"But Professor Gerald was failing. If he didn't perfect the ultimate life form soon, he would lose someone precious to him. In a last ditch effort, he used what he had found in the shrine to contact the Black Comet. I'm not sure off the details after, but Gerald had acquired DNA from the alien races leader, Black Doom, by promising him The Chaos Emeralds in fifty years, plenty of time to perfect the ultimate life form. Black Doom could respawn, and his entire race of aliens came from him. In other words, the Black Arms you and Sonic fought awhile ago were all mindless clones of Black Doom, who was as close to the Immortal life form as you could get.

"With Black Doom's DNA, Professor Gerald created me. I was the first to function and survive. In the years to come, I had become friends with Maria and Gerald. Gerald was like a father and Maria was like a sister. I was tested every day, trained every day, and lived every day. Maria explained those things that no genius could explain, like what toppings tasted best on ice cream or what truly mattered in a good story." A tear ran down Shadow's cheek.

"Somewhere in those days of fight training, it was discovered I could use Chaos energy naturally. I suppose that was where the ARK's downfall started. The government started freaking out because of just how powerful I truly am. They were afraid that if I was captured by an enemy, I would turn on my creators and work for them. The government did not see me as a sentient being with a sense of right and wrong. Soon, the government used paper work and loopholes in their contracts with the people to get a permit to shut down the ARK, saying that the scientists intended to create more ultimate life forms and take over the earth.

"G.U.N. stormed the ARK and shot everyone on sight… no prisoners…

"Maria, Professor Gerald, and I tried to escape… Gerald gave his life to make sure Maria and I got off… it was in vain…

"When we reached the room with the escape pods… more G.U.N. troops stormed in. They… they" Shadow started to cry softly. Tails was also tearing up. And again, Metal wished he had real eyes.

Through his tears, Shadow continued. "I went berserk and killed every one of them. I had never killed before then. With the last of her breath, Maria activated the escape pod and saved my life. She made me promise to give everyone on earth a chance to be happy.

"As it turns out, Gerald was not killed, just wounded. He was captured later, but before he was, he did something to the prototype life form. That lizard you saw on the ARK was that prototype.

"The professor had lost his mind and swore revenge. The prototype was a backup in case his first plan failed. He found a way back to earth and even found me. I'm not sure how or why, but I was cryogenically frozen, and in that state, Gerald was able to mess with my memories through a computer. Or maybe it was my own rage at the world… either way, I believed that Maria's last wish was for me to get revenge on the world that destroyed her.

"Fifty years later, fifty years after Professor Gerald's execution, Eggman found me. And the rest is history."

Metal looked down at the ground. "Shadow… I'm… I mean-"

Shadow shook his head. "Don't say it. You were right. What I've gone through is not as bad as what Tails went through… at least I had someone who cared about me that way. In all honesty, you, Tails, have a stronger will than mine. If it were me in your shoes, I probably would have used you tech skills to destroy the earth by now…"

Tails sighed while tears still streamed from his eyes. "I'm still sorry that happened to you. No one deserves that."

"At least all of us undeserving people are together. Who knows… maybe over time I will actually come to enjoy your company…"

Metal scratched his head. "Some about you story is nagging me. Something doesn't fit, but I'm not sure what…"

Tails suddenly jerked his head around the room. "Where's Vector…?"

Metal and Shadow looked around the room as well. Vector was no where to be seen.

"This is usually the part where we here someone screaming… where's the scream?"

Tails started shivering. "You don't think…"

"Shadow, keep Tails safe. I'm going after him." Metal started heading up the stairs.

"Metal, you can't go alone!" cried Tails as he started running after him. Shadow quickly grabbed Tails and held him back.

"I'll be fine" said Metal as he reached the first door. "I'm a robot. Nothing can hurt me."

Metal stepped down the hallway being as cachous as possible. There were no lights, but candles lit up the area quite nicely.

"Vector" Metal called. "Are you okay? Speak to me!"

Suddenly, every candle blew out. Metal stood his ground while gripping his sword waiting for some horrible thing to jump him.

From around the corner came a hedgehog as tall as Metal, brown in color, with emerald eyes. The hedgehog walked up to Metal panting frantically. "I don't have a lot of time; the system will boot me out soon."

Metal stood stalk still for a moment. "The system will… wait, what! Who are you!"

The hedgehog looked off to the side. "I am what could've been… I am what would've been… I am what should've been… but I am what isn't." The hedgehog shot back at Metal. "Listen well. You have a destiny with Sonic the Hedgehog. He has crimes that he has not atoned for and he has stolen something that could end the world if you do not get it back. Not even Sonic knows what he has stolen, though, so it will be tricky to get it from him."

Metal crossed his arms. He did not believe this. "And what, pray tell, has Sonic stolen?"

"You are a freaking super computer, you can figure it out!" the hedgehog shouted as he got in Metal's face. The hedgehog took a step back. "I'm sorry… I had forgotten that you are no longer mindless and have limitations of one with a personality." Metal grunted.

"Think hard on what Sonic has done his life and you may figure it out. I must leave you now. I'd say we'd meet again, but I am always with you." The hedgehog started running down the hallway and disappeared around a corner. Metal ran after him, but when he looked around the corner, the hedgehog was gone.

Metal sighed in exasperation. This was going to be a long night.

-Author's Note-

I'm sure some of you who thought you had figured out the plot are going "uh?" right about now. That's exactly what I want.

I love dialogue, the lack of need for a description. Absolutely nothing relevant (mostly) happened in this chapter, but this was always a favorite of my early chapters. Simply because shadow talked. People say I have a knack for dialogue, and looking back I think they are right. I'm proud of myself. Still, a part of me hates what I did here. Nothing useful was done, in all honesty. A few bits were really just set up for the next chapter. Oh, well.

The Conflicted Writer


	14. Illusions of the Heart

**Illusions of the Heart and the Blessing of the Tails Doll**

Metal was not sure he was really staring at what he thought he was staring at. The concept that it was there was hard to grasp. Even harder to grasp was that it was just floating there with a creepy lifeless stare, not doing anything but staring. The Tails Doll, with its teddy bear like structure and twin tails to mock its counterpart, was a ghastly sight to meet with in the dark. But… that wasn't what scared Metal.

Originally, Eggman had created three copy cat robots, Metal Sonic, the Tails doll, and Robo Knuckles. Eggman had trashed them all, thinking them to be insufficient, but Metal had been kept around longer because of what Eggman considered to be potential. Metal still remembered when Eggman had first rejected him and how he had wanted revenge. If the Tails Doll was anything like him, than he was in trouble. And if Tails Doll was here, then Robo Knuckles couldn't be that far away.

But all Tails Doll had done was float, its single antenna flashing now and then. For ten minutes, Metal had held still with his sword at the ready, too afraid to move. Fear was something he rarely felt, and actually glad he felt it now. Metal would've probably done something stupid if fear wasn't keeping him frosty.

After awhile, Tails Doll's antenna began bleeping rather quickly. It only took Metal a moment to realize Tails Doll was using Morse code.

"What are you talking about?" asked Metal, slightly letting his guard down. "Who's trying to destroy me?"

The Tails Doll bleeped some more, and floated backwards out of the room. Metal ran after it.

"Stop!" he called, but the Tails Doll would not listen. Metal ran. He ran and ran and ran. The Tails Doll turned left, and Metal turned left. The Tails Doll went right, Metal went right. Up the stairs. Down the stairs. This way. That way.

Finally, the Tails Doll came to a halt outside a vault door. Metal ran up to the Tails Doll and pointed his sword at it.

"Alright, I want some answers now" said Metal in a gruff voice. He shoved his sword forward a bit and cut the Tails Doll slightly in the chest. "Tell me what he wants…" Metal paused for a moment. On the other side of the vault door, Metal could hear laughter. The laughter of greed.

Metal forgot the Tails Doll and grabbed the handle of the vault. With his super hedgehog strength he pried open the door open, bending the lock that kept it shut. Metal looked inside and stared.

Nothing but Vector was in the room. He giddily laughed like a schoolboy while imitating swimming. His eyes were wide open and full of happiness, but Metal could see no reason for this happiness. Metal walked up to him and waved his hand in front of his face. No response.

"Vector" Metal said, though he did not expect a reply.

"Gold, jewels, money! I'll never have to work again! Ha, ha, ha!" Vector cried. Metal reeled back and hit him. Vector fell back, passed out.

Metal turned around. The Tails Doll was still floating there, its unblinking eyes staring at Vector. Metal clenched his sword and charged at the Tails Doll. The Tails Doll quickly avoided a slash and darted down the hallway.

In a marvelous parlor with grand chandeliers, tapestry that would make noble men jealous, and paintings old and fogged with age, Tails danced and smiled the most genuine smile he had given in ages. As he danced with himself, his arms outstretched as if he were holding someone else's hands, and mumbled an occasional "I love you" every now and then.

As chance would have it, the Tails Doll sought refuge in this room and led Metal right to it. When Metal ran it, at first all he did was hack at every thing in the room the size of a barrel. When at last his attention fell on the single person in the middle of the room, his rage was subsided with fear. Metal walked up to Tails, seeing the same out of reality look that Vector had.

"I love you, Cosmo" he said over and over again. Metal had yet to see Tails so happy. Be this a delusion or an illusion… would it be better for Tails to remain in his fantasy, where he could be happy forever.

Such thoughts brought an intense fear to Metal. The thought of existing in a reality that wasn't real and having no idea about was about as scary to him as someone realizing for the first time that they would die someday. Metal clutched his chest and was imitating deep breathing. His insides felt like a black hole as the fear coursed through him.

Floating next to Metal, the Tails Doll was motionless, though to say it was emotionless could be argued.

Metal turned to the rouge doll. "Shadow is not doing well, I take it."

The Tails Doll floated away without bleeping a thing. And Metal followed, slowly this time.

Inside the Mansion's upper most attic, third door on the right, Shadow sat down, crossed legged and meditating. His eyes were closed and his thoughts deep. He knew an illusion when he saw one, and this is one he did not want to see.

Metal opened one of Shadow's eyes to see that, like his other two friends, he stared off into some unknown space. Metal sighed and moved his hand away. He shook his head dejectedly. "Alright, I see when I must surrender. Take me to whoever is doing this."

Instead of bleeping, Metal was surprised to see the Tails Doll nod. The Tails Doll led Metal back to the first floor and out to the backyard and into the rain.

Off a short distance away, a figure starting coming through the haze of rain. At first glance, someone might be fool enough to believe it to be Knuckles the Echidna, but Metal, being the logical being that he was, knew instantly when he saw his "younger brother."

The robotic structure of a false echidna, complete with dreadlocks and knuckle spikes, walked forward with a snide stride, letting Metal know that it thought it had won.

"Robo-Knux" said Metal with a scowl noticeable in his voice. "You got an upgrade."

"Surprised?" asked Robo-Knux in a voice as realistic as Metal's, though deeper.

"In all honesty, yes."

Robo-Knux chuckled. "I am as well. I thought myself and TD were toast after our first failure. Turns out the good doctor was kind enough to just toss us down the garbage shoot. So we've been here this whole time, building things, planning our world takeover, and contemplating our existence. We've actually attained a sort of actual being while here, but of course, it does not compare to your awareness." Again, Robo-Knux chuckled.

"What did you do to my friends?" Metal whispered angrily as he lifted his sword to Robo's face.

"They're perfectly fine" said Robo as he placed a hand to his chin. "It's a new program I developed and installed in the inner workings of the place. It's a bit like virtual reality, but far safer. It only works on living things or robots that willingly submit. They are each currently trapped in a scenario that would bring them the most joy, brought about from their very own minds, or bring about the subjects deepest memories of self preservation. Shadow has yet to submit, I imagine he understands that what he sees is fake. But, the other two weaker minded ones have lost touch with reality. I bet if you offered them the chance to return to reality, they would stay in the sweet dreaming that is their fantasies."

The Tails Doll floated over to a tarp. Metal saw out of the corner of his optic sensors that underneath the tarp, visible when the Tails Doll lifted it, was a patch of beautiful flowers. Metal turned his head all the way towards the Tails Doll to make sure the rain wasn't playing tricks on him.

Robo groaned slightly. "She demanded I let her keep a small patch of life when we moved here. I absolutely detest all forms of life, but she thinks those things are 'pretty' in her words."

Metal stared at the Tails Doll and puzzled how she could be like that after being made to be a death machine, but then, look at Metal.

Wait a second… she?

"Did you just say-"

"She? What are your hearing receptors breaking? Just because she was made from Tails data doesn't mean it's a boy, just like how I'm not stupid and you're not… well, actually you two are almost exactly alike. That's what I want from you though."

Metal turned his head back to Robo. "What do you want from me that I could give besides my allegiance? Which I won't by the way."

Robe clenched his mitten like fists. "Don't play dumb with me. Give me figure.09."

Metal sparked slightly, the words triggering something inside him. "What… I…" Metal used his free hand to clutch his head and took a step back to regain balance.

Robo growled. "So, the good doctor wasn't kind enough to inform you of the perfect program, was he? Well, I'm a little foggy on the details, but let's put it like this: Before, when you were just a mindless machine, when you wanted to move an arm, thousands upon thousands of codes and whatnot passed through your main drive. Now, it doesn't work like that, does it? Now, you can do things without thinking, you possess reflexes. I, on the other hand, still have useless info running through me. But, with so much free space for your super intelligent thoughts to expand in, you may very well be the smartest thing to exist. All I know is that you got it from Sonic and it can't be made again, but it can be duplicated… or transferred, if you're unwilling for my offer to join us."

Figure .09? It was important, perhaps the most amazing thing Eggman ever made. It simulated something. What though?

_Dwell on that latter idiot! He's about to shred you!_

Metal jerked from his daze to see Robo shooting forward slowly. Somehow the slowdown ability activated on its own again. Either way, this saved Metal from imminent doom. Thinking quickly, he raised his sword and got ready to release his whips. He blocked Robo's fist, but forgot he could not use his chaos abilities. He shoved his arm forward like he was going to toss them around Robo, but instead just ended up making a fool of himself and getting socked in the skull.

Metal fell back but flipped and landed on his feet. "How did you distort the chaos emeralds power?"

"Another thing I've been working on. It's not completely effective, as you're still running on some energy, but it works. Just had to make a temporary fake to nullify the real deal. Now, please accept our kind offer to join us. Think of what you could become."

"I don't want to be a monster again! I want friends! I want a life, not to live! I'll sooner destroy myself before I'm you again."

Robo growled and shaved his foot back like a bull's. "You dare call me a monster! Monsters actually have souls! I have nothing!" Robo shot forward, his thruster ablaze, and Metal put his right arm up in defense. Metal performed a counter by knocking Robo back with a swish of his arm and tried to stab Robo's chest. Robo grabbed the sword and yanked it right from Metal's grasp, and knocked him back with a single punch.

Robo started walking forward, holding the sword upright, and prepared for the final blow.

But Metal was not afraid this time. _If this is going to happen like my other life threatening situations, then something should come along to save me in two seconds._ At this moment, sooner then Metal anticipated, Tails Doll shot past Robo. In her quickness she grabbed the blade from Robo, and a moment later, Robo was watching as TD was holding out the sword to Metal.

Metal took the sword, and TD took the opportunity to place her ball of a hand on Metal. Metal felt that compelling feeling that he had only read about in books and watched in movies and played in games. He had felt it with Tails, but that was friendly and no where near as intense.

It was that passion that caused strong men to falter and woman to break. This was love. There was reason, no explanation, just love. And though TD had no face, he could feel every ounce of it coming from her through his emerald.

Robo laughed, a fake laugh, but taunting no matter what. "You're still on about having feelings for him? You don't have any; even if the fat lard did give you figure .08. You are a failure, just like me, but that will change. Once I have figure .09, I will be unstoppable." Robo ran forward, but was blocked by a yellow force field.

"I know this is corny and overused, but I do believe I have the power of love on my side." Metal chuckled and got in a stance ready to fight. The jewel in the hilt of Metal's blade glowed, and Metal danced in quick succession with his blade moving at an amazing speed. Robo blocked every blow, leaving them in a sort of locked situation with the following rules: first person to make a stupid move dies.

TD was not able to do much in this battle, and could only float back and watch the two fight, unable to truly decide who to help. Should she assist Robo, who had kept her functioning, even if in a miserable existence, or should she help Metal, the knight in shining armor that she had been waiting for?

Robo leapt back a ways and charged forward, Metal doing the same. They clashed, the shockwave leaving a small crater. They stood pressing their weapons against each other, their spiked noses an inch apart.

"Why are we fighting?" asked Metal sternly. "It doesn't have to be this way. Come with us, to collect the emeralds, and I can make you alive. You can have the thought process you want"

"Who said anything about being alive? I want power, that's all robots ever want, to be at full functional power, and what I was programmed to do has me search for that power."

"Even if you got it, it would come at a price. I now have the ability to feel, a weakness under certain circumstances. I have deep regret for what I did in the past now, and if figure .09 really does what you said it does, then you will possess regret too. All the guilt will eat you up inside until you destroy yourself or repent for your actions. Run that through you logic drive."

Robo did. He paused long enough for Metal to kick him away. Robo jumped back up. "Fine then… I'll do it the old fashioned terminator's way… destroy everything in my path!" Robo's eyes went full green and he started swinging his arms maniacally. Metal got into a counter position, but realized too late what his target was. The Tails Doll felt the wrath of Robo-Knux's claws, and was torn to shreds.

Robo paused for a moment when he realized what he'd done. "Does it hurt, Metal… yes, that's right, feel the pain! You are right! You are weak!" Robo laughed an insane laugh and the lightning crashed in the heavens.

Metal stared at the remains of the Tails Doll, that black hole reappearing. He felt the emotions of sorrow and love, but he could not hate Robo. He was just another mindless puppet.

He found he could not hate Eggman, despite him being the one who put him through all this, he was his creator. He was his creator and owed his life to him in a way.

And Sonic, the true source of his rage, was the one person who did not deserve it. He could find nothing to be angry at, and nothing filled the void. He had just tasted love, and it was ripped away from him as fast. The emerald inside him was filled with memories of that love, but he wanted it to leave, to go away.

Metal stuck his sword into the ground and knelt over. "That's right Metal… I'll make it quick." Robo began walking towards Metal, his claws flashing with the lightning.

Robo stopped when electricity surged around Metal, and Metal screamed, "Chaos Discharge!" Lightning shot from Metal in almost every direction, hitting Robo-Knux and blasting him. When at last the discharge stopped, Robo fell back with a large thump, shorted out, never to be turned on again.

Metal didn't care. He felt like he might never care about anything ever again.

Metal wandered through the halls of the mansion, lost and empty. He was looking for his friends, but wasn't really. He dragged his sword along, just barely hanging onto it.

_Come._ Did Metal here that?

_Submit to the program, and come to the ballroom. I'll be waiting._ Unless Metal had lost it again, he heard someone. A _girl_ someone.

He dropped his sword and ran down the halls while opening up every channel his network could access. At last ha found ''. When he opened it to his sensors, he experienced a dramatic change. The hallway around him became fresh and newly painted, and the place smelled fantastic.

Smelled? Metal paused and stopped in his tracks. He looked at his black gloved hands and turned them over, taking note of the peach fuzz arms. He looked himself over. He was now a mostly purple hedgehog, tail and everything. And he could _touch_. He could now feel the soft texture of the wood, the rug beneath his black shoed feet. He smiled. Yes, he had a mouth too. He ran down the halls again, excited at what he might find.

He burst into the ballroom and heard music, the waltzing kind. And in the middle of the room stood a tall two tailed red vixen, sporting a complimenting teal green sundress.

Metal smiled even wider. "I'm amazed… there's no way Robo could have built this program himself."

The Tails Doll chuckled. "He didn't. I really did most of the figuring." Her voice was quit and gentle, like that of a summer breeze caressing your face.

"How did you survive? And by what name may I call this beauty before me?" Metal started walking forward.

"You may call me Chrysanthemum. I have a thing for flowers. And Robo wasn't able to destroy my main drive. I was able to send myself into the program." Metal stopped in front of her.

Metal nodded and frowned. "So… I guess that means when I wake up from this dream, you won't be there to greet me…?"

Chrysanthemum shook her head. "Yes. Which is too bad. I dreamed of coming with you. But dreams can only be so while we sleep."

"I've made promises, and I am going to make another. When I have finished my quest, I will come back, and I will make your dream a reality. But, for now, I want to dream, dream unto the morning, and question." Metal instinctively reached around Chrysanthemum's back and held her tight, not daring to let go. "Do you love me?"

Chrysanthemum reached around Metal and fiddled with his spines. "If I feel at all, then yes, I love you."

Metal laughed hardily. "Good! I was afraid my love was for nothing." There is no need to mention of what transpired during their dream, other than that they danced and were marry. But, like all dreams, Metal had to wake up, his friends as well, and face the coldness of reality. And Metal swore to make his, and her, dream a reality.

-Author's note-

It's chapters like these that make me feel really smart.

There's just something really fuzzy about this chapter that I love. I've always hated the meme about the curse of the Tail's doll. This was sort of a 'take that' to that ridiculous stock phrase.

Looking back, I feel stupid about it, though. I love it, don't get me wrong, but the professional in me is disappointed. Oh well, I got better, didn't I?

The Conflicted Writer


	15. Sonic the Demon

**Sonic the Demon and the Genius of Dr. Robotnik**

The streets of Dark Metrople were bare, save for the lone spiky figure of Sonic the Hedgehog. He stared at the destroyed building, having memorized the headline for that day's paper. "Family Saved from Fire by the Hero, Metal Overdrive". If one were to ask if Sonic believed the story, one might be surprised to hear him say "I believe it all right. I just don't want to."

Sonic brought his wrist up to his face. "Alright Egghead, he was here. Where do you think he went next?"

From his wrist came the distinct mad scientist type voice of Dr. Eggman. "_Look for any signs of struggle _anywhere_ in the city. The reason Metal Sonic might have gone there initially was to find Shadow the Hedgehog. I believed him to be in the city, and I think Metal might have used that to his advantage_."

Sonic chuckled as he started to run through the city. "Are you kidding me? Shadow would have blasted chrome dome to next Tuesday if he saw Metal Sonic wondering around."

From the other end, Eggman growled. "_Use your head! Metal is currently in a different form. Tails could have possibly told Shadow that he was merely a robot body guard. And even still, Metal Sonic saved Shadow's life during that Ifrit episode, so Shadow might have joined willingly because he owes him his life_."

Sonic sighed. "There's just no way. Shadow's too proud for that kind of thing."

"_But we must consider the chance. Shadow is, let's face it, a better fighter than you. If Shadow does cross you path, you must be prepared for him._"

Sonic shook his head to himself. "Yeah, yeah- hey, I think I found something." Sonic quickly skidded and turned around, and came to a halt near the only patch of nature he had seen in the city. There were police lines up, but due to what Sonic would have to guess to be shotty police work, the scene had been abandoned.

In a thirty feet diameter, it was quite obvious a struggle of semi-spectacular proportions had taken place. Littered all around the ground were burn marks, and off to the side was a particularly burnt spot with two hedgehog shaped imprints in the ground. Sonic grinded his teeth.

"_Sonic? Did you find something?_"

Sonic lifted his wrist up and said in a less than pleased voice, "It looks like Shadow can be added to our list of worries. We need a plan B, C, and D, preferably used all at the same time."

It was Eggman's turn to chuckle. "_Don't you get a single quill out of place. Come back to the Egg Carrier and we'll talk turkey_."

"I'll be there in a little while. I've got to check a few more things out."

-break-

"Are you absolutely sure!"

"From what those guys at that repair shop said, yeah, I'm sure."

Eggman gave a toothy frown, displeased with what Sonic had told him. "This is most distressing! If Metal really does have Silver Sonic's arm, than we can only assume he has attained massive power already!"

Sonic sneered. "No, they all looked confused, I was told. They might have fought the thing, but someone else got him the arm."

Eggman raised a brow. "Who would-and could!-possibly have done that without completely damaging the arm?"

Sonic walked over to the window and stared out at the open ocean. The sooner they got to Angel Island, the better. "There's this guy, I don't know who he is, but he's trying to make this a fair fight between me and him. This guy just has mystic with ultimate power written on him. But, with Metal Sonic having so much help, I'm sure he wouldn't mind if I had some back up."

Eggman chuckled and pressed a button on the control panel. His voice rang through the entire ship. "Attention, Mecha and Upsilon! Report to the main deck at once for debriefing!"

Sonic's ears twitched at the first name. "Mecha? You still have that thing lying around?"

Eggman wagged a finger. "Sonic, you should know I never throw away a good idea. Mecha was my most powerful robot compared to the other Sonic duplicates. You couldn't even defeat him without the aid of the Super Emeralds!"

"I know that. It's just… why the wrecking ball?"

Eggman turned red with embarrassment. "Uh, well… would you believe in old time's sake?" To save Eggman from further embarrassment, the door to the main deck opened and revealed two robots. The first, Mecha Sonic, was a sight for sore eyes to Sonic. Nothing about it had changed. It still ad the skinny upper arms and legs, the visor in place of eye like lenses, the sharp head spikes, the big hands and feet. The only thing that seemed different is that it did not seem as tall, but Sonic was shorter back then.

The other, though familiar for a few traits, was one Sonic had never seen. He could tell it was one of those super annoying E-series robots from its head and general shape. This one, unlike the others, was Sonic's size, with proportions in hands and feet just a little bigger than other anthropomorphs. Its arms and legs had a cone like shape, and unlike the newer E-series with claws, this one and chunky square-ish hands.

"You're well acquainted with Mecha Sonic, but allow me to introduce E-119, Upsilon. He superior in almost every way to the rest of the E-series. If plan A fails, his special function will see to it that Metal is no more.

"Now listen carefully, Mecha and Upsilon. Though Sonic is usually your target, you will be taking orders from him. Whatever he says, do it. Your new target is Metal Sonic, understand?" Both robots made beeps as they absorbed their orders. "Good."

Sonic frowned and shook his head slightly. "I can't believe I've sunk so low… what next? I try to take over the world?"

Eggman laughed insanely. "Don't be a fool, Sonic! People don't change that drastically in an instant."

"… You did" said Sonic with a hint of regret in his voice.

Eggman's face went blank. "Yes, I suppose I did. What are you going to do about it?"

Sonic turned his head out the window again. "Do you ever regret what happened?"

"I lost the ability to regret a long time ago. If anything, _you_ should be the one to regret."

"Yeah…" Sonic said quietly. "I suppose I should…"

The control panel suddenly started beeping. "Now approaching Angel Island. Transport vehicle ready for take off."

Eggman sneered slightly as he started pushing seemingly random buttons. "I don't understand how Metal managed to get help from your friends. They should have questioned him, but they trusted him. What could have possessed him to do that?"

"Are you forgetting your 'master program' already? It's pretty clear why they trust him."

"Ah, yes. He's so different, thought wise, that I sometimes forget what he's made out of. It's odd, though, how you two are different, yet exactly the same. You're both stubborn, but he is stubborn for different reasons than you. It get's one to wonder about the true essence of Chaos."

"I don't see how knowing that kind of stuff can help you" said Sonic arrogantly. "I just run where the wind takes me, and it works out just fine."

The two robots in the room beeped and started heading out of the room. Eggman hmphed. "That might work for you, but some people can't live that way. Do you think that if every person in the world was like you, the world would be a better place for it?"

Sonic smirked. "The thought has crossed my mind every now and then."

"Well, the world like that just wouldn't work like that. Think about it like this: in recent times when you've defeated me, you almost always have had from that little fox boy. Do you honestly think you could have beaten me without his help?"

"Honestly? Yeah I could have."

"What?"

"I'll give Tails his due, he made my job easier, but let's be perfectly frank doc, I would have found some repair man eventually."

Eggman chuckled again. "Jeez, Sonic, I always knew you were cocky, but that's a new level for you."

"Are you saying it isn't true?"

"Even if it is true, it's hard to believe that the great hero of Earth would be so conceited…"

Sonic shook his head and walked over to the door. "I'm no hero, Eggman… you of all people should know that."

-break-

The plan was so simple, one would have to think, "There's no way that can possibly work." Once someone mentioned to you that the plan involved Knuckles the Echidna, however, one would have to say, "Oh, never mind."

Sonic came up to Knuckles, who diligently sat on the shrine of the Master Emerald, looking a little tired. Mecha and Upsilon hid in the foliage, waiting for their commander's signal.

"Sonic" said Knuckles flatly. "What brings you here? If you're looking for a fight, I'm not in the mood."

Sonic chuckled. "Aw, come on knucklehead, can't a friend come by and say hi?"

"No." Knuckles is so friendly.

"Whatever Knuckles. But you're right. As it is, Metal head has come back for revenge, and is planning to take the Master Emerald for his 'Master Plan'. I came by to warn you and give back up, not that you need it, but he's tricked some of our friends into thinking that he's going to grant their wishes or something stupid like that."

Knuckles sighed. He was silent for a while. Finally the silence was broken by a question Sonic did not expect: "Are you going to tell me the truth?"

Sonic took a step back. "What are you talking about?" he said too calmly to believe. "Metal's on his way here, and he's looking for Emeralds."

Knuckles scowled. "I might have believed that a month ago, but Metal was here, seeking help." Sonic cringed in anger slightly. "I turned him down, but destiny saw to it that he made it to the Master Emerald. And he didn't do anything to it."

Sonic still persisted at tricking the guardian. "But that's obviously a ploy at getting on your good side. When he get's here, he'll swipe it away!"

Knuckles got up and walked over to Sonic. "I might have been on this island since birth" said Knuckles as he poked Sonic's chest with his knuckles, "And I'll admit that hasn't made me the smartest person around, but I'm not going to fall for that. Seriously, if you hadn't brought those tin cans with you, I might have believed you."

Sonic gasped and took a few steps back. "What are you-"

"The Master Emerald let's me see everything on the island, and everything underneath it. Did Eggman really think he could hide the Egg Ship or whatever it is down there? I might be gullible, but I'm no fool."

Sonic closed his eyes and lifted his wrist up. "The jig is up. Get out of here." He put his arm back down. "Alright, I'll admit, Eggman is helping me, but you can't deny that Metal Sonic can't be trusted."

"True, but if you went to such great lengths to prove that, I don't think you can be trusted either."

Sonic sighed. "You know, we've been rivals for so long, but I never thought it would get in the way of our friendship. But if that's the way it's going to be… Attack plan Alpha!" From the behind, Knuckles was grabbed by Upsilon, which had opened up like a suit, and was forced inside. Knuckles yelled as he was locked in place, "What the hell are you doing Sonic!"

"You're going to help me get rid of Metal, one way or another…" The chassis of Upsilon closed. "**Bio-battery now secure. Awaiting orders.**"

Sonic looked up at the sky. "Just wait around for a bit. It won't be much longer 'till Metal and his merry band of heroes comes around."

"And will it be worth it?" Sonic turned on the spot. On top of the Master Emerald, the cloaked stranger stood, looking powerful and ominous while holding his jeweled blade. "What do you think the others will think of you? Is this really any better than telling them what happened all those years ago?"

Sonic grunted and turned back around. "Just go away… I'll figure it out later." Sonic turned back around and yelped. The stranger was standing right behind him, his hands a glow. "You can't figure it out later… not this time… the past is coming back, fast… and at the speed its coming, it's going to stab you in the back, really hard."

"What would you know about that? It's not like you know anything about me."

"…" The stranger took a step back. "I'm just saying, Henry will pay you a visit soon."

Sonic's eye twitched. "W-What did you say!" he said insanely.

"Watch your step, hedgehog. You run so fast you don't pay attention to who you're stepping on." The stranger laughed a truly happy laugh, neither insulting nor evil.

This laugh scared Sonic more than anything. This person _knew_ it was going to happen there was no other reason for him to laugh so heartily.

"I won't lose! I erased Henry from existence once, I'll do it again!"

"We'll see Hedgehog… we'll see."

-Author's Note-

Please don't hate me for what I've done to Sonic, but I'm just trying to make the story interesting.

The thing is, I''ll be honest, there is a small part of me that hate's Sonic. To me, he's cocky, and doesn't really seem to care enough to spend time with his friends. It would seem, in my opinion, that the only time he ever sees them is when there after emeralds or some other object of ultimate power. Don't get me wrong, he's the best video game dude, second perhaps only to Mario, but that's game and story wise. If he were an actual person, do you think that your conversations with him would be nice (or longer than three sentences)? That's just my opinion, though.

Old notes are old.


	16. Metal Vs Metal round 3

**Metal vs. Metal: The Wrath of the Master**

Shadow blasted another tree that stood in his path. "Damn trees. Hasn't the echidna ever heard of a gardener?"

Vector smashed a tree in their path as well. "To be perfectly honest, he probably hasn't. He's spent his whole life on this island, completely alone and cut off from society."

"So why doesn't he move?" asked Shadow as he Chaos Speared another tree.

"He's lived here for ages. Plus, he's stuck with that stupid rock."

Metal and Tails were listening to the conversation, but failed to take part in it. Ever since they had left the "haunted" mansion, Metal and Tails seemed broken. Vector was clueless, but Shadow was smart enough to guess that Tails had seen something wonderful, and upon waking up and finding it to be a dream left him wanting more. Shadow was at a loss for Metal, but understanding empathy was a new ability Shadow had acquired since losing his rage, though it was growing back slowly now.

Shadow raised a brow as another tree fell down. "Stupid rock? What are you talking about?"

Vector panted and stopped for a moment. "Let's take a breather and I'll tell ya." Vector sat down and breathed heavily. "Jeez, I haven't eaten anything in two days. Why haven't we seen any fruit trees?"

Metal looked around as he scanned the environment. "We are currently near the temple part of the island. The soil is not rich enough for botanical fruit."

Shadow stared at Vector, who lay on the ground with his tongue rolled out. He then turned to Metal. "I don't suppose you can appease my hunger for knowledge?"

Metal crossed his arms and sighed, and replied in a monotonic voice, "I honestly feel sorry for him. You see, he's the last of his race."

Shadow stared at Metal with a look of confusion. "_The_ last?"

"The very last. I'm not to up to date on the details, but apparently they were wiped out by Chaos after they performed the classic act of 'we're smarter than everyone else in the world, so we're going to take it over.'"

"The Chaos Emeralds?"

"The very same. But that wasn't the only thing. The Master Emerald plays a key role. That thing, the 'stupid rock' can control the Chaos Emeralds. But it has to be asked, it doesn't do it automatically."

"I think Professor Gerald mentioned it a few times in his notes, but it can't be that great if Black Doom didn't go after it."

Metal shook his head. "I'm pretty sure the thing is more trouble than it's worth. If you knew some things about Eggman's past endeavors with it, you would agree."

Shadow took a glance at Vector and Tails, one of which was still panting, the other still staring at nothing. "We've got time."

"Very well. The first time Eggman found the Master Emerald was when his ship, the 'Death Egg', an obvious rip-off of Star Wars-"

"Is it just me, or does he never come up with anything original?"

"Yes, he does just seem to slap egg at the end of everything. Anyway, the Death Egg crashed on Angel Island. Long story short, Eggman tricked Knuckles, Sonic saved the island, Knuckles was tricked again, Eggman got the Emerald, powered the Death Egg with it, my predecessor robot, Mecha Sonic, got in their way, Sonic saved the day when the Chaos Emeralds were empowered to Super Emeralds with the Master Emerald's help, Sonic ripped off Dragon Ball Z by gaining a new but one time only transformation, Hyper Sonic, Tails and Knuckles were able to, unlike with the Chaos Emeralds, transform into Turbo Tails and Hyper Knuckles, and the day was saved, the end."

Shadow stared at Metal and scratched his head. "The Master Emerald did _what_ to the Chaos Emeralds?"

"We can talk Chaos Physics more in depth later. So, Knuckles, being the last of his race, has been forced to take up the sole duty of guarding the stone. He's been alone on this island since the day of his birth, leaving only when the Master Emerald was broken and needed to be fixed, or when he gets the chance to take a holiday, which are very few."

Shadow closed his eyes and turned his head. "I feel sorry for him."

"I bet it's strange after feeling sorry for yourself after so long."

"Well, after realizing that friends can be defined by experiences, it was easy."

Tails ears perked. He could here the sound that he had accustomed himself to when he realized his life was going to change. It was tapping. It was rhythmic. It was impatient.

"He's here."

The other three travelers turned to Tails, who had literally not said a word in days. Shadow broke from shock first, "Who's here?"

Tails blinked and shook his head as if he had just woken up. "Sonic's on the Island. I can feel him."

Metal would have loved to say that's impossible. He would be happy to say that there is no way for Sonic to get on the island unless Tails flied him there. Vector would like to say that Knuckles wouldn't trust Sonic and see a problem of Sonic without Tails. And Shadow would like to say that it was no real concern of theirs.

And all four of them would love to pretend that echoing tapping was not Sonic the Hedgehog tapping his foot impatiently while waiting for them to show up, but pretending was out of their spectrum of reality.

Shadow started walking in the direction of the tapping. "I'm going to see if Knuckles is with him. Stay quiet." Shadow walked off while the other three were still.

When he returned, his eyes were slit with determination. "He's not alone. But Knuckles isn't with him."

Vector raised a brow. "Then who is?"

Shadow motioned for them to follow. "You'll have to see it to believe it."

They followed Shadow and hid behind the trees as they spied on their opponents. On top of the Master Emerald, tapping his foot impatiently was Sonic. The Master Emerald shimmered with every tap. On his right and left were two robots, Eggman style.

"That's Mecha Sonic!" Tails whispered. "I thought Knuckles destroyed it."

Shadow and Vector looked at it warily. "So that's Mecha" claimed Shadow. "Are you sure Eggman made that? It looks pretty tough."

Metal nodded. "Yeah, that's Mecha. And I'm afraid Knuckles is here."

Vector looked around the area. "Where?"

Metal pointed at the other robot, which was standing in a familiar battle position, with its legs spread apart and its arm set in a punching stance. "You all have heard of the E-series right? They run on living creatures. That one is E-119, Upsilon. It takes the bio-battery thing to the data level, allowing it to copy and improve the attributes of the thing inside it. Eggman has been saving it for a special occasion, and apparently this is it."

They all took a good look at the situation. This seemed very extreme.

Tails shook his head. "How could Sonic do this? Sonic would never team up with Eggman. What happened?"

Shadow was the first to notice. "Take a good look at him." And they did. Upon their second look, they could see that Sonic was… twitchy. It wasn't noticeable unless you looked hard, but his quills were a little less tidy than usual. He really looked tweaked.

"He's desperate to destroy me" Metal said after taking a good look at Sonic. "He's not completely Sonic."

Vector's face looked disturbed. "Oh boy, Tails, you weren't kidding when you said he had a replacement phobia."

"No" Shadow whispered. "That can't be it. He wouldn't go through so much trouble, not even to defeat an enemy. He might form a quick alliance, but nothing so planned out. There must be something about Metal that Sonic, and maybe even Eggman, want gone." The three stared at Metal.

"Don't look at me" he said as he waved his arms. "I only have theories. But we can't worry about that now. We have to go save the guardian."

Metal started walking forward, but paused mid step and turned his head back. "Are you guys coming or what?"

Tails gave an awkward smile. "Uh… aren't you going to tell us it's too dangerous for us to help you?"

"Well, I could say that, but then you would all say something about how you're my friends and would never abandon me no matter what the situation, so I feel we should just skip the sappy dialogue and move right along to the fight scene. Besides, Vector is a giant crocodile, Shadow is the ultimate life form, and Tails is a flying fox. I think we'll be okay." Metal turned back around. The dumfounded expressions of Vector and Tails were very satisfactory.

When Metal stepped out in the open, Sonic was quick to react. Before Metal could get out a snappy retort, he was thrashed by a homing attack. Mecha's arms shifted to guns and started firing, and Upsilon flew forward and prepared to hit someone.

Shadow quickly reacted and Chaos Controlled himself away. Tails flew around, and Vector locked fists with Upsilon. Tails prepared to swat at Mecha, but Mecha grabbed Tails tails before Tails could blink.

Meanwhile, Metal was fairing surprisingly well. His sword gave him an obvious advantage, making a second attempt at a homing attack impossible, as Sonic's shortened quill proved. Sonic ran forward, and Metal stabbed forward, but Sonic ducked and pounded Metal's face.

Shadow appeared behind Sonic and kicked him in the back, sending him forward. Metal propelled forward and sent his fist to Sonic's face. From the side, Tails was thrown at Metal, who dodged. A few bullet shots were fired, which bounced harmlessly off Metal, but Shadow had to warp Tails away.

Sonic fled as well. He could not attack effectively while Metal had that sword, so why not send another robot made of metal to do the job?

Shadow caught Tails and threw him at Sonic. Sonic was tripped and sent spiraling away.

Vector lifted Upsilon up and crashed it head first into the ground. Tails knocked Vector over, giving Upsilon the chance to utilize a dangerous move. Its hands glowed a fiery red, and it punched the ground and sent balls of heated earth, in every direction.

Sonic and Shadow zipped around the forest, swatting at each other every chance they got. Shadow fired a chaos spear in front of them. Sonic looked questioningly at this. Shadow smirked, and Sonic ran right into it. Shadow jumped and bounced off a tree, heading back to his blue foe. When Shadow least expected it, Sonic spin dashed his way right through Shadow, stunning Shadow for a moment.

Mecha fired its engine at full power, while Metal held it in place with his whips and hit it with his sword, making some headway in cutting its arm off. Just a moment before it was too late, his scanners picked up something as hot as the inside of a volcano heading towards him. He let his prey go and rolled out of the path of a ball of magma.

Mecha flew to the Master Emerald, stood on top of it, and opened its chest plate, revealing an orange stone. Great, this was Metal's favorite part. The Master Emerald glowed along with Mecha as it absorbed the power, and started to change from its blue metallic color to a golden shine. Once the power transfer was complete, it stared around the area… and Metal was gone.

That was no worry. This was planned. It would just wait it out and guard the Master Emerald, and have an infinite power source to protect itself with.

-break-

Vector held Upsilon in place while Tails was using his tails like saws to slice its legs off. Half way through, he felt flesh and fur. He squealed and leapt back, and Vector grabbed Upsilon behind him and slammed him forward. Metal came to a halt it front of Upsilon and started slicing while his blade glowed.

"Stop!" yelled Tails. "Knuckles is in there! You'll hurt him!"

Metal stopped. "Don't worry. Knuckles is fine now. But you might want to take a step back" he said as Upsilon started to glow red. Vector, Tails, and Metal jumped away as Upsilon burst in a flame of death, leaving a crater. When the smoke cleared, Knuckles stood and glowed and had murder written on his face. "I'm going to kill him…" Before anyone could stop him, Knuckles ran off snarling.

Sonic dodged another Chaos Spear and taunted Shadow by running in place and called, "You're too slow!" Shadow growled and started to glow a darkened red. From out of the ground, Knuckles shot up and hit Sonic square in the jaw.

Knuckles proceeded to pound the hedgehog, who nimbly dodged every punch. Shadow warped next to him and grabbed his arm. Knuckles chuckled evilly. "Just like old times, huh, Sonic? You never could beat a creature that was actually capable of thinking. You can't just bounce off our heads until you find the weak point."

"Just hit him already so we can get down to business" said Shadow who still glowed red as well.

Sonic, when the two were distracted for a brief moment, pulled out his Chaos Emerald, and shouted, "Chaos Control!" Before Shadow or Knuckles could react, Sonic disappeared in a flash of light. Knuckles growled and punched the ground where Sonic stood. "This is not over yet…"

Shadow's glow dimmed. Then a question came to mind. "How did you do that?"

Knuckles looked up. "What?"

"The Chaos Berserk. I thought I was the only one who could do that."

"You've got a lot to learn, pal." Knuckles eyes suddenly dilated. "Oh, jeez, the Master Emerald!" Knuckles ran off and Shadow followed close behind.

Near the Emerald shrine, Metal, Tails, and Vector stood far away as not to get noticed. Knuckles and Shadow joined them, and stared at the robot that guarded the Master Emerald.

"Where's Sonic?" asked Metal without looking over.

"He left. Sorry about last month. No offence."

"None taken."

"Let's rush him" said Vector as he punched his fists together. "He can't take us all on. Oh, hi boss."

"Hi, Vector" Knuckles replied. "No, that would be suicide. He's currently using the Master Emerald the same way he did before, he's currently invulnerable to any attack, and I think he knows that leaving would be a bad idea on his part. I need to go in and get close enough to break the Master Emerald; it's the only way to protect it."

"That would also be suicide" grunted Shadow. "You'd be shot before you can get within thirty feet of the thing."

"I'll go" offered Metal. "I'm a robot, I can be repaired, and even still, I'm near bullet proof."

Tails shook hid head. "He's doesn't have just bullets in his arsenal, with the energy from the Master Emerald, he can fire blasts of energy capable of doing intense damage to the nervous system… just imagine what that would do to you?"

Metal thought the situation over. On one hand, if they just left the Master Emerald there, it might stay there for years, as Eggman's programming skills left a lot to be desired. On the other hand, that left a very powerful object in the hands of a berserker robot. And when you have a really naggy conscience, you really don't have a choice.

"Sorry, Tails, I'm going in. If anyone loses a life here, it might as well be the one without a life."

"I'll distract him" Shadow said as he pulled out his green Emerald. "Ultimate life forms have bullet resistance, at least."

Knuckles sighed and trembled slightly. "Can you use chaos energy?" he asked Metal.

"Enough to clobber someone with."

Knuckles pulled from nowhere (a/n does anyone know where they keep their belongings?) a sparkling aqua marine blue emerald. "Take this" he said as he tossed it.

Metal caught the emerald, and the usual 'Emerald Get' kind of scene you would see in a well thought out video game story line. He sparked slightly, though not as intense as before. He stood in the underground lab, in better clarity than before, as the scientist with the large mustache ate a hard boiled egg. After his first bite, he turned green and chucked the egg away. "Ugh… bad egg."

"So, doc, when will this machine of yours be ready?"

"It's almost complete. All I need now is the seven Chaos Emeralds from your world above, and I already have five."

"I da' know, doc. They are in the vaults of the acorn kingdom, which is owned by Princess Sally. I might get in some serious trouble with her."

"But don't you want a world without chaos? You could woe sally very easily in such peace."

"Well…"

Metal had, during his trance started flying towards the Master Emerald, and nothing could stop him… except having his (non-indestructible) arm singed off. His senses came about just in time to hastily avoid another blast. He shot forward, while "Warning: Chaos Energy Low' flashed in his eyes. Behind him, he could hear blasts and the occasional, "Chaos Spear!" He flew up the stairs of the shrine and thrust his sword into the emerald.

And nothing happened.

Metallic footsteps came up the stone steps. Metal tried to pry his blade loose

_Self sacrifice for a greater purpose. Surely he's ready now._

He requires more training. It's not the time for retribution.

Energy was charged in Mecha Sonic's jewel. Metal was too weak to move.

_You aren't going to let him die, are you? He's the only one who has the imprint that can restore balance. Let me at least help him, he has felt my power before._

The beam was two seconds from firing.

… Very well. Assist him.

The charge was shot, and it did hit its intended target… but the target was now covered in an unidentified liquid substance. Metal turned around, leaving his sword, and two of the three emeralds he had floated from his person through the liquid, forming bones as they went, until they created three fingered hands. Something in the shape of a ribcage jutted from the slight openings in his chest, and liquid legs slowly formed, making his new form larger as it stood on all fours. At last, a tail, wings, and a head reminiscent of the Metal Overlord with green slits for eyes, one on top of the other, formed. Mecha, still golden and invincible, started firing at this new threat. The Liquid Metal released a terrible roar.

-break-

Sonic walked along at a leisurely pace and whistled a jingle he had heard somewhere but could not remember where. By now, Metal had to of been blown to smithereens. There was no possible way the four of them could handle them all.

"Stop what you're thinking and think more realistically."

Sonic didn't even bother flipping around to face him. "You don't know what I'm thinking."

"You're thinking that the robots can handle them on their own. You're wrong. If you can handle the God of Chaos while he has six emeralds, what makes you think they can't handle a few measly junk heaps?"

"Because, aside from Shadow, I have skills none of them have."

"Everyone has their own skills. Just remember that. I have a gift for you since you're losing."

Sonic turned around at this statement. "What do you mean losing? The bots'll beat them good."

"Just take it anyway." The stranger tossed a jewel that Sonic almost caught, but paused mid way when he saw what it was.

"Ow! Where did you get this! It's nowhere near the right time."

"You should know, after your experiences, time is something that's relatively easy to break."

Sonic's eye twitched. "I… this… no…" Sonic gripped his head as a searing headache attacked him.

Mecha Sonic flew past them, leaving behind a trail of molten dirt. An ear shattering roar rang out, and Sonic looked up to see a large liquid creature fly at a super sonic speed, chasing after the Mecha.

"What the hell was that!" screamed Sonic as he clutched his head again.

"That looked to be a Chaos and Metal fusion, powered by three of the four Chaos Emeralds they have."

"Four!"

"I suggest leaving the island… now."

Liquid Metal shot blasts of energy at Mecha Sonic through his hands, but was missing terribly. Mecha turned around and flew at Liquid Metal, aiming right for Metal. Mecha made it inside the beast, but was stopped as water around him suddenly froze. Liquid Metal reached inside itself and pulled the chunk of ice out and gave it a toss towards the mountain.

On the snow covered peak, Mecha's ice prison broke as it crashed into a solid wall. His arms switched to cannons as Liquid Metal flew at it. Liquid Metal crushed the wall, but missed the Mecha as it raced back to the Emerald shrine.

Mecha mad a mad dash as the effects of the Master Emerald faded. Liquid Metal's hands and chest started to glow, and in a flash of light, it disappeared.

Knuckles charged at Mecha, his fists on fire, and was followed by the others as he led an assault on the Emerald assaulter. With a single punch, Knuckles was able to tear of an arm, and sent Mecha spiraling. Vector grabbed Tails and tossed him up. Tails hit Mecha, latched to him, and propelled him downward. Shadow charged up a Chaos Spear, but the next thing anyone there new, Liquid Metal was charging up a super beam in its mouth after appearing out of nowhere. Liquid Metal let loose a barrage of energy, and Tails got out of the way just in time to not get blasted. Mecha slowly disintegrated in the bolt of power, leaving nothing, as even its all powerful jewel fell to atoms.

Silence. The silence like one would here after a party has ended and no one is sure what to do now rang through the shrine as the fighters stared at the creature before them. The Liquid Metal also seemed unsure of itself as its eyes wondered around. Finally he came to Knuckles.

"_Knuckles_" it said, though it thought more. "_Present yourself to me_"

Knuckles stepped forward and gave a bow. His head was bent low in respect.

"_You have served the echidna race well, hatchling, but I have an important duty for you to attend to. While I do not distrust the power of the team Metal has assembled, you must accompany them as well, and keep Metal safe from harm. It is vital to the balance of chaos that Metal succeeds. And as a reward for this, Metal will grant you a wish when your task is complete._"

Knuckles eyes went wide and he shot his head up. "But who will protect the Master Emerald while I'm gone?"

"_I, Chaos, God of Destruction, will protect the emerald in your absence. You are not to return to your duty here until you have your wish._"

"But-"

"_I have spoken. While Metal sleeps, kitsune,_" Liquid Metal turned to Tails, "_You must repair him as fast as possible. Time is of the essence. I must now return Metal to you._" Liquid Metal stuck its arm into the shrine and pulled out Metal's sword. The sword and the emeralds dragged itself to Metal as the bones faded and the liquid slithered away. Metal toppled over as Chaos whispered in his mind:

_Henry would be proud._

-Author's note-

I'm really sorry I haven't replied to any emails sent to me recently. I've been stupid busy. Again.

Well, in regards to this chapter, I still feel like, the more I look back, the more I've improved. This chapter looks like total crap too me now. I would really like to rewrite it, but I don't have the time and would rather preserve it's suckiness anyway.

The Conflicted Writer


	17. Chaos Physics

**Chaos Physics**

My Master sped through the accursed factory, with my spirit trailing after him. I was amazed at his courage, and even more amazed by his speed. He was confident and made me smile. But as we neared the center of this vile place, I grew more and more afraid, not because of the danger, but of the fact that I hid secrets. My thoughts were interrupted as we came to the chamber boiler room. The Erazer floated near a ceremonial circle he had created from his magic, and spoke in a tongue I had never heard.

"Hey, Erazer" my master said in his accent foreign to this land. "I'm a little low on fire life here. How about you top me off?"

-break-

Metal shut the book with a resounding slap. He simply could not read any further, and the reason was obvious. This, 'Tale of the Blue Hero' was a little too familiar for Metal to stand. He might have had nothing better to do in the middle of the night while the others slept, but this he could not stand.

Well, not all the others slept. Knuckles was used to only getting thirty minutes worth of rest a day, so he was up. And Shadow was made for not sleeping. Both of them were strong silent types, so conversation was out of the question.

He had already tested out his newest arm, and it worked at peek efficiency, even the gun part. Yes, he now had a gun on his person, making him even deadlier than he already was. It didn't really help his mental stability.

Shadow had his arms crossed and eyes closed. Tails and Vector slept in beds of leaves made by Knuckles, and Knuckles, despite being out of the robot, looked nervous. He twiddled his claws and kept tapping his foot anxiously. And the stranger sat in between them with his sword…

Wait a minute…

Metal jolted up. "How did you get here?" Knuckles looked up and Shadow opened his eyes. The stranger just sat there.

"Forgive me" he said in his happy tone. "I did not mean to be chaos."

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Knuckles as he got up and walked over to the stranger. As he reached to grab the stranger's throat, the stranger vanished in a flash of light. Knuckles turned around and saw the stranger now sitting atop a giant stone.

"I did not mean to come from nowhere" said the stranger. "I did not mean to not exist. I did not mean for you to not to notice me. I did not mean to be chaos."

Metal's arm shifted to its gun position and pointed it at the stranger while he held his sword in his other hand. "What do you want? Why have you come here?"

"He's here to make us think" Shadow murmured as he walked over. "You want to talk?"

"Yes, Shadow, I want to talk of a science that many fail to think about because it does not want to be thought about. Chaos and its principle, and how the Chaos Emeralds act that principle. Let me ask this: do any of you remember _how_ the Chaos Emeralds disappear from your grasp after you collect them?"

Metal's gun folded back into an arm, and the three of them were quiet. Knuckles scratched his head with his claws, Shadow turned his head away in thought, and Metal put a hand to his chin. None of them remembered even losing the emeralds in the first place.

Metal shook his head. "That's strange. Even stranger is that we've never thought about that until now."

Shadow turned his head back to the group. "But how is this possible?"

Knuckles spoke up. "It's chaos, Shadow. Anything is possible. With chaos, a butterfly becomes one of the most powerful being on this planet."

The stranger nodded. "Yes, the old butterfly theory. A butterfly's flapping might be the thing that started that tsunami that wiped away that town, or it might not have been. It is chaos, it is unpredictable. And when you can predict the unpredictable, you can attain power you once only imagined."

Shadow squinted his eyes. "Why would you give us this ultimate power?"

The stranger chuckled. "Who said I even had the power in the first place? I am simply speaking the truth. Why, you shall find no better chaos bender than myself, and my abilities don't make me invincible. I haven't even scratched the surface of distorting reality. I can, however, give you a more powerful version of your Hands of Chaos." His hands glowed and a ball of light appeared in them. Using it like it was a lubricant, he smeared the ball on the sword he held, giving the sword a glistening shine.

Metal noticed a similarity between the swords he and the stranger carried. "Where did you get that sword?" Metal asked warily.

"I've had it for months. Truly a fine weapon. Now, I have taken my inner chaos and bended it into a sort of upgrade for my sword. I can bend it other ways as well. Watch this." The stranger literally peeled the chaos off his blade and pressed it back into a ball. He then molded it like clay until it was in the shape of a bow and arrow. "I can mold it any way I want. It is only as limited as my imagination… literally. If I can't believe that I can do it, then I can't."

"That ridiculous" Shadow grunted. "If that were the case, I could lift off the ground right now and fly."

"Alright then. Do it."

Shadow paused for a moment. "Umm…"

Knuckles chuckled. "Oh, the all mighty Shadow can't fly? I can." Knuckled, without any concentration, lifted a few feet off the ground.

"That's impossible when you think about it" said Metal as he pointed at the hovering Knuckles.

The stranger nodded. "It is. But he's doing it. I'd imagine that so much exposure to the Master Emerald has greatly increased his awareness of the universe. He might have the mightiest grasp on chaos of the lot of you and not even know."

"You here that? I'm the mightiest."

Shadow grunted.

Metal spoke up. "He might be right, Shadow. Knuckles does possess abilities that none of us can comprehend."

"So you're trying to tell me the echidna can do this because his mind is free?" But when Shadow looked at the rock, the stranger was gone.

Metal's arm shifted back to its gun form and he took aim at the rock. "If what he says is true, than when I imagine that rock blowing up, it will blow up." His arm began to shake vigorously as a ball of yellow light formed at the tip of the shaft. He dropped his sword and used his hand to keep the barrel steady. With recoil that sent Metal flying, the charge was shot, and where the rock was, a silent boom came and left a deep dent in the rock.

Shadow and Knuckles ran over to Metal, whose lenses had a backwards warning sign from where Knuckles and Shadow stood. "Well" said Shadow, "It appears chaos stamina is something to take into effect. Metal lacks internal chaos and has to rely on emeralds, but emeralds need time to recharge."

"Lucky for us we're freaks of nature."

Metal suddenly released a large spark. Knuckles and Shadow leaped back at the sudden jolt, unaware of what had happened. Metal was thinking hard. So hard, in fact, he was destroying bits and pieces of lock in the back of his hard drive. At last, he knew something that had to do with why Sonic was going to such great lengths to destroy him.

Metal slowly got up and stood weakly. "Shadow… have you always had the homing attack? Did you have it from the day you were created?"

Shadow shook his head. "No. It was first discovered when I found my Chaos powers. Why?"

"Did you ever teach the ability to anyone? Or do you know of any other ultimate life forms?"

Shadow shook his head again.

"What does this have to do with anything?" asked Knuckles as he shrugged his shoulders.

"How is it, that after fifty years of being frozen, of no one knowing about his existence, and teaching no one his trade mark secrets, that Sonic knows how to perform such a maneuver?"

The thought made Shadows eyes widen in surprise. It took Knuckles a minute to get it, but his eyes bulged out as well.

"I ask: who is Sonic the Hedgehog? Where did he get his impossible speed, his amazing abilities?"

Metal, Shadow, and Knuckles talked about the topic for hours, but it was for nothing. They simply had no idea who-or what-Sonic was. Somewhere in their talking, however, they began to talk of what their innermost wants were.

"I've always hated Sonic, but I am positive that is the nicest thing he ever did for me. When I found I could hate, I found I could feel other things. From there, I found myself wanting more than that, the desire for touch and taste, and for friends. What I want is a body and a life. Sure, I have free will, but that does not compare to all those little things poets always write about."

"I'm not sure what I would wish for. I've often dreamed of having Maria back, but it doesn't feel right to me. I believe that things have a time and place to die, even me. If she wasn't meant to go, then she wouldn't have died. And I doubt she wants to be ripped away from the peace I'm sure she has found. If I had a wish, I guess it would be a friend I knew I could absolutely trust."

"What about you Knuckles?" asked Metal. "What would you wish for if you had a wish to make?"

Knuckles chuckled. "You know, it's a funny thing, Metal… you already granted my wish by coming here."

"Really?" asked Metal, surprise heard clearly in his voice. "What was it?"

Knuckles took in a deep breath and sighed. "Freedom."

"Freedom?" asked Shadow as he raised a brow.

"Yes, freedom. I've been stuck here for as long as I can remember, doing absolutely nothing but guarding the Master Emerald. Now, Chaos is guarding the Master Emerald, and he told me to not come back till my wish is granted, and since my wish is freedom, he's the one doing my job from now on. After I help you guys out, I'll finally be able to be that archeologist I've wanted to be."

"An archeologist? Not quite an adventurous thing to pursue."

"Okay, I know it won't be like the way it is in the movies, but it's the thing I've always wanted after freedom. What would you do after you got a body?"

"I never really thought about it too hard. I really would like to just settle down and stay in one place and travel when I had the chance, but I would never travel alone. You know Knuckles, you and I could find new places if you wouldn't mind."

Knuckles opened his mouth to say something, but stopped short as his dreadlocks blew with the wind.

"You feel that?"

"Feel what?"

"I don't feel."

"Something big just landed on the island. Come on, wake the others up, we might need to fight. I'll go on ahead."

"I'll come with you" said Shadow as he got up. "You might need some back up."

"In that case, I'll get Tails and Vector somewhere safe. If you're not back in a few minutes, we're coming after you

A little while later, Metal, Tails, and Vector were under the watchful eye of the Master Emerald, each one of them tapping something as they waited anxiously for the two power houses to return. Metal had his gun and sword at the ready.

From behind some nearby bushes, Knuckles and Shadow returned, with a companion. A green hawk holding a board walked up and grinned. "Tails" he said in a squawky voice. "Long time, no see. Still that techno wiz whose buttons I like to push?"

"Jet?" asked Tails. "What are you doing here?"

"What, no hello? Jeez, you're worse than mister tall, dark and gruesome over here." Jet pointed a thumb at Shadow.

"Who are you?" asked Vector as he walked up to the legendary wind rider. "Have we met before?"

Jet looked mortified. "You mean you've never heard of the Babylon Rouges before!"

Knuckles shook his head and groaned. "This guy is a treasure hunter/thief. He calls himself the Legendary Wind Rider."

"That's because I am the Wind Rider!" said Jet as he pointed a finger at Knuckles.

"I've never heard of you either" said Shadow as he walked away.

Metal, who had lowered his defenses, walked up to Jet and stared him in the eyes. "I've heard of you. You'll do anything if it'll get you a buck or your pride. What are you doing here?"

"So, you're Metal Sonic, huh?" Jet asked.

"I prefer just Metal, if you don't mind." Metal demanded more than asked.

"Well, me and my crew have been paid handsomely to give you a first class trip to the wonderful water town of Soleanna for the annual festival of the sun, and give you a lift to anywhere else you might need to go."

Tails raised a brow. "Soleanna? Why there? Who paid you?"

"The cloaked guy said something about some kind of secret lab, Chaos Emeralds, and wanting to now more about Sonic."

Tails and Vector's eyes widened, and Metal gasped.

"This guy must have psychic powers or something, because we're been in hiding since our last race. But he was determined to make sure it was us that helped you. So, are you guys coming or what?" Jet held up a hand.

Metal thought it over. Why would this cloaked person go through so much to help him? Was he planning a trap of some sort? What did he need the rhythm badge and Shadow's rage for? Metal wanted to be sure to find out.

"Alright, Jet." Metal shook Jet's hand. "We are coming. Provided on one condition."

"And what might that be?"

"Tell us a bit about your father."

-Author's Note-

(This is the almost exact same note I had as before)

This chapter lacks serious action compared to the last chapter, but that's what happens after a climax.

So, Soleanna, huh? Now, before any of you say that I'm not creative, listen up. This is a spoiler of Sonic 360 (amazing graphics, cheap game mechanics), so be warned. Elise and Sonic blew out the Time Flame, but that was after the experiment was started. The way I see it, there would still have to be some notes or something on the project, and Eggman would never pass up a free head quarters.

Although, I found one serious plot hole in that game. Think about this: when Silver and Shadow went back in time, Silver gave Elise (I don't want any Elise bashers, she might be a Marry Sue (a character that exists for the purpose of existing) but she's still a good enough character to work with) a Chaos Emerald. If that Emerald was given to her in the past, doesn't that mean _eight_ Chaos Emeralds existed in space and time? That doesn't seem like something that could be erased through a time paradox.

And that, my friends, is the soul detail that caused me to write. It got me to think of the true nature of the Chaos Emeralds (despite my philosophy that games are not meant to turn into fan battle ground and should just be played for fun). I began to wonder about the phrase "the seven servers" and wondered if the emeralds were either servers of reality and tried to protect it, or if they were servers of the Master Emerald, and when it wasn't looking, they were children who caused chaos and liked to see people suffer and liked to see someone use their power for destruction, be it bad destruction (Perfect Chaos destroying the world) or good destruction (Sonic destroying some evil dude).

And then I took a good look at the games my twin brother picked compared to the games my older brother (who never played with us because he thought that because he was six years older than us, he was to mature for us) played. At first, our games appear far too cartoony and immature, but then I think of the Metroid games we have, and I realized I played games over and over again for the story, not for the actual game play. It was like sitting down and having a parent read me a story, mainly because my dad would do it with me and help me make funny voices.

So, you can thank a huge plot hole for this story being here.

The Conflicted Writer.


	18. It's Not That Hard to Make Friends

**It's Not That Hard to Make Friends**

Wave the Swallow was not comfortable with so many people on their airship, and with good reason. Of course, from a moral point of view, the reason wasn't exactly 'good' in the sense of kindness, but it was a good reason none the less.

The Babylon Rouges were thieves, descendents of thieves, and descendents of descendents of thieves. Thieves are considered bad in this or almost any known society. They were wanted for more than one caper involving the taking of gold and jewels.

But Jet seemed happier about the situation. Aside from Shadow, who hid himself in who knew where, and Metal, who had his pointy nose at the screen at a computer for hours on end, Jet tried talking with everyone who had accompanied them and-Wave could scarcely believe it- tried to be friends with them.

Storm the Albatross also seemed to like the passengers, but he was Storm, what could you do about it? Wave just hid away in the repair bay and tinkered with whatever she could get her skilled hands on.

A knock came from the door. Small quiet knocks in a rhythmic and gentle pattern. It was Tails. She didn't even bother with looking away from her blueprints. "What do you want, shorty?"

Tails ignored the shorty comment. "I was wondering if… uh… you might need a hand with anything? I'm pretty good with tech stuff, and maybe you would like some company?"

Wave turned around and walked up to Tails with a scowl on her beak. Tails took a step back and smiled uncomfortably. "If you need some alone time-"

"Look, shorty, I had all the alone time I needed until you guys came along" Wave spat. "We don't need passengers on board. If jet wants to bring you along, that's his deal, but I don't want you here, so leave me alone."

Tails whimpered and quickly ran away. Wave watched as he ran down the hall. She really didn't mean to be mean to the little guy, but she could not stand intruders in her personal space. Wave sighed and turned back around. Before she got back to her blue prints, however, another knock was heard from her door. Loud, out of sync taps, followed by a 'duh' and a few other incoherent syllables. Wave didn't even have to think about it to know who this was.

"Uh… hmm… oh…"

"Storm, if you're going to be dumb, can't you do it somewhere that does not have me there?" Of course, she knew he was trying to say something that Jet told him to say. He always stuttered when it had to do with Jet.

Storm raised his large fist to his tiny head and scratched. His eyes went wide. "Oh yeah! The boss wants to see you."

Wave shook her head and waved a hand dismissively. "Tell Jet I'm not in the mood right now."

"Uh… Jet said you would say that, so he said he's not in the mood for your mood."

Wave shook her head in a distasteful fashion this time. They definitely spent too much time together.

"Fine, fine, I'm coming."

You wanted to see me, boss?" said Wave in her sweetest voice, which, Jet would say, could cause any guy to loose their senses.

But Jet was not any guy, not by his standards. "Storm" he said in his squawky voice, though his tone was a bit lower than normal. "Please leave me and Wave. We need to discuss some things."

Storm saluted and walked out. Once he was gone, Jet's expression softened, though he still looked distressed. "I'm getting tired of having to be all serious around the big guy."

Wave smiled and stood next to Jet as she placed her hands on his shoulders. "I know it's though, but you have to keep up your image with him if you want him to listen."

"But we're not here to talk about my life. We're here to talk about you."

Wave pulled back a bit and looked hurt. "Really, Jet? What have I done wrong?"

"Don't give me that. You've been treating our guests a little less than nice, I've noticed."

Wave crossed her arms and turned away. "They shouldn't be here."

"But they're already paid for."

"And how could do that? Why would that guy pay so much just for us to give them a lift? I say they're up to something."

Shadow walked down the hall, doing nothing in particular. He didn't really like being with so many people all at the same time. It brought back some very crowded memories. He was off to see if he could convince Metal to let him out of their deal, when he heard a loud discussion happening on the other side of a large set of double doors. Shadow put an ear to the door. It seemed their hosts were having a disagreement.

"I say they're up to something."

"Of course they're up to something. Just look at this merry band of weirdoes. There's not really any reason for them to hang out unless they're up to something. But it's not exactly like we have any room to talk. We're the Babylon Rogues, thieves. It's not like we're pictures of good citizenship."

"But I've seen the way you hang out with them. You're trying to make friends with them, aren't you?"

"So what if I am?"

Shadow raised a brow as he listened. Jet was lonely? How interesting.

"Are you saying me and storm aren't all the friends you need?"

"You guys are not my friends. Storm is a brother, and you're… uh…"

"Err…"

"Different, you're different. Very different. But I could use some people to actually be with, perhaps race for fun, instead of for escaping the law, and maybe even play some Super Mario with."

"Those games will rot your brain. And besides, what would your father say?"

Shadow heard the sound of air being sucked through teeth. "What would my dad say? He'd say I should go out and steal some kid's lunch money, that's what he'd say. But, after I've read a good book and am in a mood for thinking, I sometimes wonder what it would have been like if I had been raised like even a semi-normal family. I might be a thief, but did I ever actually ask to be a thief? I might enjoy it, but what if I was just trained to enjoy it?"

There was a pause. "This isn't like you Jet. You're usually not so… smart."

There was a defeated sigh. "I know. I just suddenly feel so alone. Only Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and that insane pink girl know about what happened in The Garden, and I'm not sure if they really understand."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, there's no one else like us, not here, or almost anywhere else in the universe. We're the last of our kind, and even if there were more, we'll never see them in this life time."

"Jet, I know it's hard, but me and Storm are here for you. We have the same legacy as you."

"I know. I just wish we weren't the only people on this planet related to aliens."

Shadow's eyes widened. Had he heard that correctly? Jet and his crew were related to aliens?

"Jet! You need to keep quiet. That's why I didn't want passengers on board. If any of them find out, they could turn us in to G.U.N. and we'd be just another science project."

"No way. If any of them would do that, it's that Shadow guy, and he's been keeping to himself the whole time."

Shadow looked down, unsure how to feel. He would have been angry at such a thing, had he still had that much anger to spare. Now though, he felt a mix between guilt and sadness. He would never do such a thing, but that doesn't mean he would do other less than pleasing things.

"So the only real reason you took that guys offer was because you want friends?"

"Yeah… I suppose now you're going to tell me what an idiot I am?"

"Jet, normally I would do that but this time I think you actually have a good reason to be stupid."

"Thanks… Hey!"

There was the sound of giggling from Wave. Shadow took that as sign to leave. As he turned around, he was stopped as he hit something rock hard. Shadow took a step back and shook his head. He looked up and saw Storm staring him down, and Storm's stare wasn't one of friendliness.

Shadow grunted. "Out of my way."

Storm shook his head and growled in his own special way. "You were listening in on my Boss' private conversation."

"I- I was simply passing by." Shadow was not one to fear others in a situation like this, but guilt was there to replace the void where his rage should have been.

"Hey, what's going on out there?" came Jet's voice from inside his office.

"Boss!" cried Storm as he opened the door and shoved Shadow inside. "I found this guy eavesdropping just outside the door."

Wave and Jet both had looks of intense fear on their faces, and Storm scratched his head as to why. Shadow got up and dusted himself off.

Jet coughed and tried to sound as intimidating as possible. He failed. "What were you doing out there?" he asked nervously.

Shadow's face remained blank as he spoke. "I was passing by, and I happened to hear a… loud part of your conversation."

Jet gulped. "H-How much did you hear?"

"I believe the common term used in a situation like this is 'enough'." Shadow raised a brow. There was an awkward silence. Nobody moved for a little while.

Jet finally spoke up. "What are you going to do?"

"Uh, boss" Storm asked with his not exactly intelligent look on. "What's going on?"

Shadow huffed a little. "I happened to hear your boss admit, out loud, that you three are related to other worldly beings."

"Uh…"

"Aliens."

"Uh oh…"

"Look, Shadow" said Wave. "This isn't anything that needs to be brought out in the open is it? I mean, couldn't we come to some sort of agreement?"

Shadow shook his head. "Sorry. I don't take bribes."

Jet got up and did the something he was trained never to do. He got on his hands and knees and begged. "Please, please, don't tell anyone. I know that you don't know us, but isn't there some way we can make it so you don't tell our secret?"

"Get up" said Shadow. Jet did, all the while sweating. "The only way I can think of to make sure I don't tell your secret, is to give you mine."

The Babylon Rouges all shot confused looks at each other. "I am also related to aliens."

The Rouges gasped, each looking baffled in their own special way. "I'm not exactly related to nice aliens, however. Perhaps to make up for this inequality of secrets you could do something more for me as we talk." Shadow started walking around the room.

Jet shook his head. "Talk about what?"

"Whatever it is you've been talking about with the others." Shadow started looking through drawers in the desk.

"Hey, that's the boss's personal space."

"Hold on Storm. Are you trying to be our friend Shadow?"

Shadow bent into one drawer and started pulling out an entanglement of wires. "If that's the way you would like to put it, then yes, I want to be your friend. I would like to take you up on your offer."

"What offer?" Wave asked suspiciously.

Shadow pulled out some very ancient looking technology. "You said something about 'Super Mario'. Perhaps you could teach me how to play?"

Wave and Storm looked baffled, but Jet looked pleased. "Alright, but be warned, that game can be pretty tricky."

-break-

"How come you can use Luigi like that?"

"He is obviously the ultimate compared to Mario. His leaping powers are superior, he can run faster, his fireballs can hit higher, and when he commands the Yoshi, he makes it use what it eats as a weapon. He is obviously the better Mario bro."

"But when I use him, I always slip off the edge…"

"Power always comes at a price. I have learned to overcome his weakness."

"But there's no way you'll find the secret exit here. Not even Jet can find it, and he's been at this for years."

"Oh, thanks, Storm."

"You boys are so ridicules. Hey, watch out for saws!"

"Behold as the mighty Yoshi jumps on the saws as if they were mere children's toys."

"Jeez, you got Yoshi to the end, I could never do that- hey, what are you doing? !"

"You just totally sent that cute little dino to his doom. What was that for?"

"Is this some kind of game glitch? You're on the other side of the goal- What the? !"

"There was no other place to hide the goal. Though, I must admit, I didn't think of it the first time through."

"Darn it, why didn't I ever think of that…"

Metal stood at the door, one hand holding a laptop, the other holding the door open. He was completely frozen as he stared at the scene before him. Jet, Wave and Storm looked at Metal with stares of 'freaking out'. Shadow was sitting in a beanbag chair with the Rogues standing around him. He gave a quick glance to Metal, and then turned back to the T.V.

Metal's lenses went 'O.O;' "Are you… playing Super Mario Bros.?"

Shadow grunted. "Technically, I'm playing Super Mario World, which, I might add, does not give proper credit to the ultimate Luigi."

Metal shook his head and raised a hand as if to say something. He put it back down. "Never mind" he said as he walked away.

Shadow 'hmmfed'. "Acts like he's never seen someone play video games."

-break-

Metal walked into the rec. room, where Knuckles and Vector were playing pool while Tails was watching and sipping a soda. Metal still had his 'O.O;' look on.

"What's gotten into you?" asked Knuckles as he sank the solid five in the corner pocket.

Metal sat down and opened the laptop he was holding. "If I told you, I'm sure you'd think I was malfunctioning." Metal's eyes went back to normal. "Anyway, I have something rather interesting to show you."

"Darn" said Vector as he missed the stripped seven.

Tails walked over to Metal while Knuckles and Vector looked over his shoulders.

"I've exhausted every possible avenue, and I can't find a thing" said Metal as he brought up various medical records from hospitals surrounding Station Square.

"I thought you said you had something to show us" said Vector as he looked over the records.

"Nothing _is_ what I'm showing you. There's no medical records, no recorded birth date, not even a record for when he's even checked in for a disease or broken bones. The only thing I've found is a bunch of blogs of creepy fan girls and… less than appealing art."

"What do you mean by art?" asked Tails.

Metal sounded a little unsure as he spoke. "Well… some people draw pictures of Sonic, me, and practically everyone else he comes in contact with. Some of them are actually pretty creative and/or awesome, but some will haunt you for eternity."

"Come on" said Knuckles. "It can't be that bad."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure there's some cool stuff of me and Sonic fighting Eggman."

"Believe me Tails, there's some stuff of you and Sonic. Don't say I didn't warn you." Metal typed in some thing and clicked a few things.

The two mammal's and one crocodile's eyes widened.

"Is that…" asked Knuckles.

"Are we…"

"Yep."

There was a moment of silence before:

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

-Author's note-

I can't believe how short these chapters used to be. And _now_ I can't believe how long they can be. Sorry for the slow update, but I've been working on that other story in my profile along with real life's many wonders. We'll be getting along shortly.

Sincerely,

You get the drill.


	19. The Three F's

**The Three F's- Fight, Flight, Flee**

The stranger stared at all the people around him, their cheers ringing through his head. The Festival of the Sun sounded boring on paper, but it was a big deal to the people of Soleanna. And now that the stranger was here, he could feel all the excitement in the air pouring into him. Yet it would not override the fear that had encased his being.

Failure was not an option. Failure meant all that he had done was for nothing. Failure meant that Metal was sure to be destroyed. Failure possibly meant that the universe was doomed.

Ever scarier, though, was success.

His thoughts were interrupted as a cane hit him in his concealed face. "Aren't you listening?" an old voice said. The stranger turned to his traveling companion, an old brown hedgehog with emerald eyes, a cane, and the kind of outfit you would expect an old timer to wear, suspenders, pipe and all. His small glasses sat at the end of his nose, and his large red scarf hung down to his knees.

"Forgive me, I was a little lost in my thoughts" the stranger said to his companion.

His companion coughed and raised a brow. "You're worried, uh?"

The stranger nodded. "I'm very worried, Henry. Up to this point, I've been sure in what I was doing. After tomorrow though, I will be lost. I will have lost my assurance of knowing that everything I did was right. It will be like waking up and finding that your entire kingdom is gone. It fills me with fear to think of losing my power after having it for so long."

Henry chewed on his pipe which had never been used for nicotine in its existence. "I know you're scared, but remember that you'll have friends. Not exactly what I would have chosen in my youth, but friends for sure. Besides, you have all the power I gave you." Henry scowled like the old timer he was. "You better not have forgotten the promise you made me."

The stranger grabbed Henry's hand and walked to an alley. It was almost time. "I have not forgotten. Your mission shall be complete, and you will be able to rest in peace."

Henry smiled as he coughed. "Yes… rest sounds nice." The stranger grabbed Henry by the under of his arms and hovered the both of them to the top of the nearby building, which was shrouded in darkness. At the top, a large robot was waiting, unmoving, yet ever diligent.

"Omega" said the stranger as he set Henry down. "Is Eggman within range?"

Omega, the last of the E-series robots, sworn to destroy his creator, turned around in his monotonous way, and spoke with his monotonous voice, both of which failed to show how he really felt. "Eggman is on his way. His battalion is small, just as predicted."

The stranger nodded. "Excellent."

Henry arched his neck and looked around. "Where's that Blaze lady at? Wasn't she supposed to be here?" he asked when he saw no sign of their fiery companion.

In a poof of flames, a purple cat with a red dot on her forehead in what one could only described as royal clothing appeared looking tired and out of breath. "Sorry I'm late. The bat caught me as I was sneaking around White Acropolis. But she's there, and the Rogues and their passengers on have just docked."

The stranger nodded. "All the pieces are in place. All we must do now is make sure the right ones fall and the right ones make it across the board." The stranger took out his sword and pried out the blue gem in its hilt. He then placed a purple gem in its place. The sword, in an instant, without any flashing or morphing, changed into a dagger. None of them seemed surprised.

"You all remember the plan?" Everyone nodded, except Omega, who tipped his whole body and raised it back up. "Good." In a flash of purple light, the stranger vanished from normal view. Blaze bent over, picked something up and handed it to Omega. Omega took perfect aim at where the Princess of Soleanna's boat was coming up. Henry sure hoped that this would work.

-break-

Metal looked around the water town. Tails had told him that the Festival of the Sun was a big deal, but he still did not expect so many people.

"Alright" called Jet from his air ship with his group behind him. "We'd like to come with you, but there's too many people here for our liking."

Metal nodded. "So I suppose you're off to who knows where?"

"Naw" said Wave as she shook her head. "We'll be around in case you need back up. The Babylon Rogues don't leave friends hanging."

Shadow nodded at them. "Thank you for your assistance. It is appreciated." He said it in his usual tone, but they were words he very rarely said.

Knuckles shook his head and shrugged his shoulders as the Rogues left the scene. "I'm never going to understand that guy."

Tails nodded in agreement. "Shadow's a tricky person to get. You really have to know him to make any sense of him."

"In my opinion" said Metal as the five of them walked towards the crowded streets, "the best things in life aren't understandable. I don't understand how I'm a sentient being, but I couldn't care less."

Vector walked up to where Shadow was standing. "What's going on, anyway?" he asked as he scratched his head. "Why are all these people here?"

"This is the annual Festival of the Sun" said Tails as he put his 'smart' face on. "They celebrate their God of the Sun, Solaris, and thank him for the light he provides them. Their Princess will light the torch as a beacon for Solaris to follow, as they believe their good fortune and water are provided by him."

"This place reminds me of Venice" said Vector as he squeezed past a couple making out and a man enjoying chili fries. "Is this town a trading port or something?"

As they crossed a roomy bridge with all the people standing on one side watching a bout travel by, Shadow suddenly stopped. He started sniffing the air and looking around.

"What's up?" said Metal as he looked up in the cloudy sky.

Shadow sniffed again. "I smell smoke. The kind you smell when a lot of machines are running."

The group looked up in the sky. When they looked hard enough, they could see that one of the clouds was not a cloud.

"What's the plan?" said Knuckles as he pumped his fists together.

"The emeralds will have to wait. When he attacks, distract him. Shadow and I will get whatever it is he wants away from here."

Shadow nodded. "Alright. What about the civilians?"

"The only thing we can do is try to draw the fire on us" said Tails as he started revving up his tails.

Elise walked up to the elder priest, both of whom were surrounded by guards in large brown cloaks. One of them handed the princess in her swan white dress the ceremonial torch. As she reached out she paused and reached for her neck. Half way her hand stopped, and she let her hand fall back to the torch, looking downcast. She gave a bow to the priest. The loudest she could speak, she recited the speech her father before her gave in this celebration.

"We give thanks for the blessed flames. May we always continue to have peace. Son of Soleanna, guide and watch over us with your eternal light."

The flames touched the kindle for the great light, and in a spectacular to the eye display a grand fire was lit, and fire works erupted and boomed in the sky.

Elise had a feeling of being here before as the fireworks boomed, and even more so when the noise came right next to her. The scene played before her like watching a movie for the second time. Missiles fell, people fled, her guards surrounded her, a large battleship flew from above, and robots, white with guns for arms and domed shaped upper bodies, with all of thier guns pointing at her. In fear she again reached for her neck, but whatever she was looking for was not there.

From the ship, a hovering vehicle the size of a small car appeared, and a large, egg shaped man was riding it, bowing as it reached her and her guards location.

The egg shaped man raised as he began to speak. "Hello, Princess of Soleanna. My name is Dr. Eggman" he made hand motions as he spoke, "and I will be needing your assistance if I am to complete a special project of mine. Does "the Solaris Project" sound familiar to you.?"

Elise gasped and took a step back.

"Ah, so you do know something about it. Then I need you to come with me, Princess." Eggman smiled to himself. "And no one can stop me this time."

"Really? No one? Than I guess that makes us nobody." Everyone in the area looked up to see two hedgehogs hovering over them, one holding a sword, the other's hand holding something glowing.

"Metal! Shadow! How did you-" before Eggman could finish, Vector leaped up from the water and chomped a robot between his mighty jaw.

He gave Eggman a devilish grin as he landed. "A little oily, but not half bad."

Knuckles came next, as he punched and destroyed the robots in the area, and Tails flew in from above while spin dashing as he zipped around while destroying the remaining machines.

Metal and Shadow landed, Shadow quickly grabbed Elise, and Metal flashed his sword at Eggman. "Would you like anything else with your defeat? Perhaps some humiliation, maybe a little shame…"

"Who are you people?" Elise asked from Shadow's arms.

"Grrrr… attack them! Missiles go! Fire, fire, fire!" Eggman yelled frantically as he went berserk and moved like a madman. Metal and Shadow nodded at each other a quickly fled the scene, taking Elise with them, while dodging a barrage of missiles that were sent after them, destroying the towns architecture. Eggman sent more robots out, but the three heroes still remaining took care of them.

On top of the main hall, two other hedgehogs were watching the scene, one with curiosity, one with satisfaction.

"Are you sure that's the robot?" asked the grey hedgehog with glowing markings on his gloves and boots.

"That's the one" said Sonic. "He's the one who'll annoy you in the future."

"Are you sure, Sonic? I can't help but have this feeling that we're making a mistake."

"Trust me, Silver, that's the one."

Silver nodded, his bizarre quill style bouncing. "If you're sure…" He telepathically lifted the both of them away.

-break-

Metal stood on the chapel as he surveyed the area, trying to find where Shadow and Elise had gone of to. As he looked, he saw Eggman with his new Eggmobile, now equipped with dual action radio operated extending hover grips. Clever. And the grips were holding Elise as she yelled something. Shadow was watching from below, unable to attack without hurting Elise. She threw something to him, witch he caught, before Eggman took her away.

Out of the corner of his eye, Metal saw something else. Sonic… and what Metal supposed was Silver, according to Eggman's files, talking, acting as if nothing had happened. Metal felt his rage boil at the sight. Would Sonic really stoop so low as to assist Eggman in kidnapping someone? It didn't seem possible.

Sonic bounced the blue Chaos Emerald in his hand. Sonic was off guard. This would be Metal's only chance to get the Emerald without confrontation. Metal got ready to blast off when-

"Oh, Sonic, I finally found you!"

He was grabbed and held in place by some surprisingly powerful arms. Pink arms. Oh boy…

Amy looked up and was greeted by glowing red eyes. "You must have an eye sight problem. Do I look like Sonic the Hedgehog? Really…"

Amy gasped and stepped back, smiling sheepishly. "Oh, I'm so sorry." She then slapped his back, causing him to nearly fall off into the water. Metal managed to regain his balance just in time.

"Why is everyone trying to shove me in the water? That would have been the third time, damn it."

"I'm sorry- hey, how did you know I was looking for Sonic?" Metal froze and thought as fast as he could, which, by the way, made sound bow its head in respect. Amy had no clue who she was talking to. She didn't know that the being before was the thing that had kidnapped her all those years ago.

And the hammer she had added to his newfound fear of her.

So he told the truth. "My design was done by Tails the Fox." Well, it wasn't a lie. "He's told me all about you. You're the person who stalks Sonic."

Bad choice of words.

"What! Tails thinks I stalk Sonic?"

Metal cowered slightly. "N-no, I have artificial intelligence, so that's just my opinion."

Even worse choice of words.

"Oh, so I'm a stalker? I'll have you know that Sonic loves me with every fiber of his being! We were made for each other!"

Metal artificially rolled his eyes. He looked at where Sonic was, but he was gone. Metal inwardly growled.

"Curses. He got away."

"Who got away?"

An idea suddenly hit Metal. "Why, I lost Sonic. I've need his assistance for something. Perhaps we could look together, and maybe find my other friends in the process."

Amy raised a brow. "Oh yeah, you said you were made by Tails, so he's gotta be close by. Hey, why are you're arms like that?"

"I was damaged and in need of quick repair. Fortunately we had some assistance from Knuckles, Vector, and Shadow."

"Shadow is traveling with you?"

"Trust me, I can hardly believe it myself."

"Alright, I'll help you find the others as long as you help me find Sonic."

"I'll be happy to" _Your stalking skills will make this too easy_.

Amy smiled. "By the way, what's you're name?"

"Most people call me Metal. Recently I've gained the title Metal Overdrive."

"I've heard of you! You saved that family from that fire."

"Well, I don't like to brag…"

"Come on, let's get going."

She really was air headed. Did she not notice that the city had been attacked a few minutes ago?

-break-

Blaze and Henry walked towards the gate that sealed the royal entry way to the castle. Henry coughed every now and then, but he said he was fine.

"Do you think he'll do it?" Blaze asked after an awkward silence.

Henry chuckled. "I don't think he'll do it."

Blaze stopped and looked shocked. "You don't believe in him?"

"I believe in him, alright. But I don't think he'll do it in time."

Blaze scrunched her brows.

"He's so used to having all the time he needs. But I'll fade away before he's done, and he'll have to finish the mission."

Blaze looked downcast. "I'm sorry that your time is almost up."

"Can't be helped. It does my heart good to know I helped such a fine fellow. Who knows? Maybe he'll see this thing all the way through."

"Well… anyway, he's in the Egg Carrier, and Omega went off to the beach. Things are going as planned."

"Then soon, that Sonic feller won't know what hit him."

-Author's Note-

Zzzzz… err, so tired but must post more. Please don't give me guff about using Sonic 06. It had its moments and it's worth the five bucks I paid for it.

Sincerely,

You know who wrote this.


	20. Metal Vs Metal round 4

**Metal vs. Metal: The Black Knight**

Metal poked the liquidy surface of the thing he and Amy had just jumped through, still unconvinced that this mirror was what they had jumped out of.

"Come on!" cried Amy angrily as she waited impatiently for Metal to finish his examination of the Magic Mirror of Soleanna. "Sonic has been here! You heard what the tourists said. And that blur doesn't tend to stay in one place too long."

Metal pulled his hand out of the liquid. "Forgive me, Amy" he said, still in a baffled tone. "It's not very often that one passes through a magic mirror and finds themselves in a desert."

"I guess" Amy said as she shrugged. "You obviously haven't been on many adventures."

Metal shook his head. "Not as extreme as some people's." Metal looked around as they started following the long straight line that apparently led to some far off ruins. "Do you now any cultural information about the area?"

Amy shrugged. "Not really. Why would anyone want to live or visit a desert anyway? It's not like there's any life out here."

"Now hold on, that's not true." Metal spun around slowly as they walked. "This place is full of life. Just look around? It's beautiful."

Amy raised an eyebrow and looked around. "Am I missing something?"

Metal stopped Amy by putting a hand in front of her. Amy looked confused as he bent down and moved her boot. Under it was a pure black scorpion. "Here is some life for you."

Amy screeched and took a step back. "That thing isn't life! It's death!"

"Common error. Scorpions are life. If they weren't, how could they move?" The sarcasm was evident in Metal's voice.

"You know what I mean. That thing could kill me."

The scorpion in Metal's hand started moving like mad, clearly afraid of the giants around it. Metal set it down gently and let it scurry away. "Did you see how it did not try to sting me? Stinging is it's last resort."

"Still…"

"Wait, I have more. Scorpion venom is a crucial ingredient in a lot of today's medicines."

Amy raised her eyebrows. "No way."

"Very yes way. And scorpions, unlike a lot of other creatures, take care of their young for quite some time. They keep the eggs on their back to protect them from predators." They started walking again. "Like many things, the scorpion is misunderstood and feared more than it should be. It is more afraid of us than you are of it. It misunderstands what we are, and sees things in a different reality than you or I. I live in a different reality compared to you. The way I see things is different from the way you see things."

Amy nodded. "I guess robots would see things differently than living creatures."

Metal felt a slight twinge, of what he was not sure. "Not just robots. Sonic, for example, sees freedom as running around and doing whatever he wants. You, on the other hand, see freedom as the ability to own things and living in a home. People see things differently."

Amy looked down, and looked downcast. "Gee, I had never thought of it that way before…"

Metal started hovering as they continued. "I suggest you let me carry you to our destination."

Amy huffed and crossed her arms. "Why? Just because it's faster? I have legs."

"Actually, it's because of the quicksand." Amy gasped as she suddenly tripped, her boot caught in the sand. Before she hit the ground and covered herself in mud, Metal grabbed the back of her skirt and pulled her out and into his arms.

"How could Sonic get over that?"

"It's like when a stone skips across the water, it's to fast to sink. It just… skips over it."

"Fine. You can carry me."

With that, they sped off towards the ancient ruins, unaware of what they would find when they got there.

-break-

Elise sat in the halls of the temple, trapped by this Eggman as he called himself. From what she picked up, he was angry because someone had betrayed him, and the failed project that her father had started working on was something that could help him in his world conquest. Although, that was as much as she could pick up, for his speeches were long and dreary.

As she sat down with nothing to do, she remembered what was left of the project smoldering ash. Her father was stricken with grief at how the flame could have been blown out. No one could have gotten into that glass, yet the flame was gone. He cried. He cried for a very long time. It shortened his life.

Elise had cried as well. But with the last of his breath, he told Elise not to cry. It was so long ago, she had forgotten why he said that, but she stopped. She often wondered what would have happened if the flames had not been blown out. She dreamed of how she would still have her mother, her father, and how they all would have been happier with Solaris's power.

Elise shielded herself with her arms as an explosion came from one of the walls.

"I'll remember to call you if Tails ever needs house renovations. It'll be so much cheaper than a contractor" came a surprised male voice.

"What can I say?" said a female voice. "I've had a lot of practice from being the damsel in distress."

Metal and Amy walked in and immediately noticed Elise. Metal gave a bow. "Forgive me for not coming sooner princess, but as you might have guessed Eggman tends to be annoying."

"Princess?" cried Amy as she looked Elise over.

Elise stood, smiled and bowed. "Thank you for coming to save me, sir Metal. What happened to your friend, Shadow?"

Metal quickly raised his head at 'sir'. "Sir? I'm no knight, ma'am."

"But you must be! You have a sword and wear armor. Who else but a knight would have such things?"

I dawned on Metal that Elise had no idea he was a robot. It was odd to have someone think of him like that, to not be looked at differently than others.

"Who is your friend here?" asked Elise.

Amy smiled and curtsied. "I'm Amy, just your plain hedgehog."

A voice came from behind them. "Don't believe her. That hammer of hers has hit more heads than walls." They all turned, and saw Dr. Eggman standing smugly with his arms behind his back. Metal pulled out his sword and Amy pulled out her hammer, and the both of them stood guard in front of Elise, and Elise took a step back.

"What do you want this time, Eggman?" Amy asked.

"You couldn't comprehend the dexterity of my latest plan. It's really more of project. I would have planned a bigger invasion, but it didn't seem worth it. Of course, that was before I knew you all were involved."

"As some sort of goofball super hero would say, 'good always triumphs over evil' or something corny like that."

Eggman chuckled and a low growl was heard from behind him. "You might find that to be a little wrong this time." From a behind him a large black dog like robot came, far different from his other mechs. This thing looked like it jumped out of the future. The best way Metal could describe it was something like out of the 'Gundum' show. Though, it lacked the usual control spire that Eggman would have put on its head. Instead, there were reigns coming from its maw, leading to a robot that was controlling it. Metal gasped slightly at what he saw.

Sitting on its back like a knight would a horse, a new Sonic copy held the reigns. And a thick sword. Black with red highlights, the new robot looked like he jumped out of a classic King Arthur tale. Like Metal's previous 'Overlord' form, this one wore a kilt style outfit, looked more like it was an out fit, and was very, very pointy. And, like many of the cold, empty robots before him, his eyes were angry, yet empty.

Eggman dramatically raised his hands into the air. "Do you like it? This is the Egg Cerberus, and mounted on that little number is my greatest warrior yet: The Black Knight. I've incorporated your unique fighting style, added some of your friends' data, and even added a little Chaos for good measure. This is a fight you won't get out unscathed." Eggman released his laugh and the Egg Cerberus roared.

-break-

Omega lacked many things. Empathy was a big one. He didn't have the desire for a lot of useless junk in a home, even though a robot didn't need a home in the first place, but hey, Eggman had made weird robots before. This was a little much for his already 'too much for a processor' brain to take, however. Shadow was, indeed, listening to 'Through Fire and Flames' by Dragonforce as they cruised across the desert sands on a hover vehicle, and looked more… calm. Omega would have asked, but he already knew the answer.

"Are you sure Eggman is up ahead?" asked Shadow as they closed in on the Coliseum of this land. He was at a loss of how anything lived out here when the sand ate everything as fast as it did.

"Affirmative" said Omega, who held on for dear artificial life as they flipped over and landed perfectly. "Eggman's carrier went this way. He has taken Elise there. For what purpose, I do not know."

Shadow scrunched his brows and strained his ears as he listened to the air around him. It was becoming harder for him to concentrate now that he worried. He worried that Knuckles had gotten lost on his way to and through the mountains. He worried that Vector was eaten alive by that killer whale. And he worried that Tails was… he didn't even want to think what that robot had done to him. He hoped more than anything that the hedgehog he met would be able to help him.

Shadow shook his head as an explosion ran through the coliseum up ahead while shutting his CD off. Their vehicle skidded through the abandoned halls until at last they came to the stand, and saw the battle taking place below.

On top of a dog like robot, Metal and the black hedgehog mech that Shadow had seen on the beach were sword fighting, the both of them unable to use any special tricks without upsetting the delicate balance of power they both had. Meanwhile, Amy (_Where did she come from?_) was running from, and occasionally hitting, the robot dog that the two hedgehogs fought on. Meanwhile, far off in where royalty would sit to enjoy the games, Eggman watched with glee evident on his face, and Elise was trapped by two of Eggman's white mechs guarding them. She gasped from time to time either Amy or Metal was hit by their enemy.

Shadow nodded at Omega, and the two of them left the craft and started sneaking around the stands.

With one mighty bash Amy destroyed not just the face plate, but the precious 'brain' it protected. Metal and The Black Knight leaped off and went in opposite directions, giving Metal enough space to pull out his gun and start shooting like a maniac. The Black Knight blocked with his sword, then charged while doing as Shadow and skating on hover feet .Metal put up his yellow shield, but was still sent back into the wall. He lost concentration, his shield shut off, and The Black Knight was coming close, with its sword held in a swing build up position. Metal blocked and parried, giving him an opening to toss his whips out. The Black Knight was grabbed and entangled, but far from defeated. A small shock wave of negative energy sparked out of The Black Knight and Metal's whips went haywire. Before he could react, The Black Knight took aim and made an attempt to slice off an arm. Unfortunately for it, it happened to be the right arm. There was an obnoxious clang, and The Black Knight reeled back a moment. Metal was getting nowhere fast, so he had to resort to an emergency maneuver.

He raised his gun arm, and charged his Chaos Bullet, as he had now named it. The Black noticed this and put his sword up in defense. Once again being shoved into the wall, Metal let loose the ball of energy. The Black Knight was blasted back, shocked, but not shorted. Metal fell to his knees and used his sword to hold himself up as best as he could. Amy was still running from a fried Cerberus and in no position to help as The Black Knight got back up and walked towards Metal. Metal raised his shield as best he could, but could barely form a faint wall. The Black Knight smashed the wall with his heavy sword.

Before he could proceed in his destruction, a barrage of fireballs hit The Black Knight and toppled it over, stunned. Metal turned his head, and Shadow held his hands out in a… familiar way. In the next instant, Omega came piloting a hovercraft with Elise clinging to him. Shadow grabbed Metal, and they, followed by Amy, hopped on the speeding getaway and out the archway.

Eggman got up from the wreckage of his mechs and snarled. He would be damned before he let them get away with this.

Shadow drove like hell as he maneuvered through the robots that were following and shooting at them. The only help he had was Omega, as Metal was currently recharging with another emerald. He took a more dangerous path through the spires and towers, but it was the only way to shake them. Elise examined Metal, thinking to check if he was alright, when she noticed something odd about his sword.

The stone in its hilt.

Elise spoke through the noise of the engine and the Gunfire, and asked Metal: "Where did you get that sword."

"At the bottom of the sea… I think" Metal replied.

Elise gasped. She knew who carried this sword before.

-Author's Note-

Did I really write this back in 2008? Man, that was ages ago. I still remember the original Author's Note saying how I came up with the Black Knight before that game came out game came out.

You know, Sonic sure has gotten a lot of hate. Personally, I like Sonic and The Black Knight. Wasn't the best thing ever, but it was a lot better than some other games I can think of. Some say that Sega just slaps Sonic's name on stuff to make people buy stuff, but I think slapping Sonic's name on it automatically makes people nitpick. It's like Mario: every time he messes up, they rag on him like you wouldn't believe. Mind you, that isn't very often. Being second best means Sega has to move fast to keep up with Nintendo, and that's hard when you have so many prissy Sonic fans and you no longer make consoles. Seriously, the only fandom with more n00bs is Kingdom Hearts. The only difference is that Kingdom Hearts n00bs are happy n00bs.

And now I'm rage ranting. Gosh, I can't wait till we catch up to where I left off. This story looks like so much crap since I've improved, and I want to get back to my better quality stuff. I do miss having about 200 reviews at this point, though. I wonder what happened this time.

Sincerely,

A guy in need of some aspirin.


	21. Metal Vs Silver

**Metal vs. Silver: Psyched Out**

In a short time, Shadow had escaped the madness of the desert and the five of them walked through the valley as they headed back to Soleanna ("How was I supposed to know the thing was low on fuel! I hotwired it! It was an emergency!")

As they walked, conversation was surprisingly easy to this bizarre group, except for Omega, who lacked in high conversation skills.

"Tails, Vector, and I met up later, and Knuckles had gone to the mountains because he had heard rumors of a Chaos Emerald being nearby. He decided we should try to kill two birds with one stone. We chased Eggman along the beach, trying to catch up to his carrier. The whole path had been covered with robots shooting at us. Fortunately, we could all cross the water in some way. Tails flew, Vector swam, and I skated across. At one point, while we were crossing a bridge, a killer whale started chasing after us. I told Vector to stop tossing the robots in the water. Anyway, he distracted it by grabbing its dorsal fin, allowing Tails and I to escape. Later, that robot you were fighting with jumped us. Tails was…"

Metal stopped and grabbed at his throbbing chest full of fear.

"He's hurt!"

Shadow nodded his head. "That's when Omega showed up with this hedgehog. The hedgehog told me to run after Elise and said that he'd take care of Tails."

Metal's voice was frantic. "And you trusted him?"

Shadow turned and scrunched his brows. "Omega trusted him. That was good enough for me."

"Shadow?" Amy asked as she butted between the two. "How did you and Omega meet anyway?"

Metal shook his head and continued walking.

Elise had been very silent as they walked and talked. Omega was, surprisingly, the one to say something about it. "You seem distressed, princess. What is bothering you?"

Elise looked away and held her hands. "It's nothing."

"In my travels," said Metal as he pulled out his sacred sword, "I've learned when 'nothing' is 'something', and what that something is." Metal held the sword in front of himself and presented it to Elise. "This sword is special to you, isn't it?"

Elise bent over and took the sword from Metal. Metal could see tears welling up in her eyes. Elise gulped and blinked the tears away. "This sword… belonged to someone I knew once."

Amy spoke up. "If you don't want to talk about it, you don't have to."

Elise shook her head. "No, sir Metal needs to know about this blade's capabilities."

Metal put a hand to his chin. "You mean this sword is magic or something?"

"Something for sure."

Shadow crossed his arms. "Magic? You've got to be kidding me. There's no such thing."

"Well, there shouldn't be gems of ultimate power, Echidnas that can crush boulders, foxes that can fly, or hedgehogs that can run at the speed of sound, but you don't see anyone complaining about the lack of logic there, do you?"

Shadow put a hand to his mouth and coughed.

Elise closed her eyes. "Long ago, my father, the king before me, had started a special experiment. It would allow someone to step backward or forward in time."

"Back through time?" asked Amy.

Metal nodded. "I've seen worse."

"It ended before it even began. The flame that would have powered it flickered out, and it could not be remade. That is what Eggman is after."

"Time travel…" Amy shook her head. "I can't believe Eggman is doing that again."

Shadow and Omega turned to her, one of them giving her a strange look. "He's done it before?"

"My father sent his best knight on a mission, though I can't remember what this mission was." She presented the sword to Metal. "This sword was his."

Metal held the sword up to the sunlight. "It certainly traveled a long way from here."

"He was sent far away. But he was chosen for more than being the oldest and loyalist of our army. He made the blade himself. He was more than a knight. He was a stone cutter of the highest quality. Do you see the stone in its hilt?" Elise placed a finger on the stone. "Has your sword swings ever been faster at certain times, more so than others?"

"Certain times."

"This is one of the rare stones of Soleanna. This is the stone of the wind. With this in the hilt, your movements are as fast as the wind."

"It… looks like an ordinary rock."

"Indeed, but this knight knew how to activate their power. I believe an old man made a type of shoe that could do that, but no one would wear them." (…well? Can anyone argue with that?) "This knight made _all_ the things in the castle, as well as the best weapons… But he never returned. He was a good friend of my fathers… and me."

There was silence for a brief moment. A butterfly placed itself on Omega's head "Did you find any other jewels down there?"

"No… not even a ship. I'm sorry."

Shadow turned away, but quickly turned back. He now knew there were others, lost like him, and he would not turn his back on them anymore.

Shadow grabbed Elise in his arms. "Come on, we're taking a faster route."

Shadow smirked for a brief moment, and then sped off while Elise yelled in fright. Metal chuckled. "He's certainly changed." Metal charged after him.

Amy huffed and Omega started walking. "Hey, where are you going?"

Omega spoke as he walked. "We have a long way to go. Don't fall behind."

Amy growled and stormed after him.

-break-

Elise sat down on one of the restaurant's chairs and tried to fix her horribly messed up hair. Shadow and Metal stood close by, keeping their guard up. "That was fun," she said as she sighed. "But couldn't we have gone slower?"

"I warned you to hang on."

"Shadow, you're insane, you know that?"

"Of course I know that. At least I'm not in denial about it."

Elise blinked and suddenly stood up while looking around. "Can you feel that?"

Metal looked around as well.

Shadow nodded. "Yes… it's powerful."

"Robot that lacks super senses is blind!" said Metal as he got in a sword stance. "A warning would be nice."

"Jump!"

Shadow grabbed Elise and leaped out of the way of a burst of energy. Metal, unfortunate enough, was electrocuted, or something very similar to that. Metal fell over. With what strength he had, he pulled out the light blue Chaos Emerald and transferred its energy to the one inside him.

Lowering himself was a hedgehog who's company Metal and Shadow did not enjoy. "I've finally found you." Silver said as he pointed accusingly at Metal. "Megalo Metal…"

"Megalo?" said Metal as he got up. "You don't mean-"

Silver activated his Psycho-kinesis and with a flick of his hand sent Metal into a wall.

Shadow had set Elise down and was about to shoot off, but was held back by a gloved hand.

"I call swordsman's honor" said Sonic as he held Shadow back with both hands gripped tight and feet wedged in place by friction. "One on one. Silver and Metal only."

Shadow gritted his teeth. "That's ludicrous!"

Metal got back up and shook vigorously. "He's also right. I have my honor, and you shan't take that from me."

"Who are you?" said Elise gently to Sonic and held her hands in prayer.

"Sorry, lady" said Sonic, with sorrow straining his voice. "But that robot has to go."

"Robot?"

Metal leaped back as Silver drew in close. Silver sent another chair at Metal, which was split in two by Metal's sharp blade. Silver picked up as many random objects as his mind could reach and called, "How 'bout this!" Metal saw the opening he needed. With a kick start, he rocketed forward, just as Silver called, "Take th-" Silver yelled and dropped the things he was holding. Metal stood in a 'you've been owned' position, with his blade held out behind him. Silver grabbed at his chest, where his white fur was drenched in blood. Silver grunted and flipped around and sent his electro attack again. Metal was stunned, and Sliver sent Metal straight up in the air. (Not exactly how the glitch actually happens, but still annoying.) As Metal fell back down, his engine not working properly, he shot his hand forward. "I hope I can still do this!" he yelled. Silver shot his hand up, and trapped Metal in a blue aura. Silver was wide eyed however. He tried to move his arm, but could not. He was trapped in a yellow aura, coming from Metal's hand. The both of them were stuck.

Spilling from his outstretched hand, his whips slowly came forth. Silver could not old Chaos Energy in place, and could only watch as they slithered around him and constricted him. Silver lost his concentration, and Metal's jet started and he lowered himself to the ground.

Amy watched the scene play out, her mind frozen up with confusion. Sonic held Shadow back, Elise looked extremely worried as she pleaded with Sonic to stop this madness, and Metal held Silver in place with glowing rope.

Metal walked close to Silver. "Why are you doing this? What do you want from me?"

Before Silver could say anything, a giant hammer nailed Metal in the face, breaking the whips. "Metal Sonic, you lied to me!"

Metal fell back with a large clang. As he got back up, he pulled out the white Emerald. "Forgive me Amy" he said. "I am a different robot now, though. I did not lie when I said Tails made me. He made me into what I am now, and I would never hurt someone intentionally. Please… give me a chance."

Amy held her hammer defiantly. "Prove it, then."

Metal looked at his blade and tossed it aside. He threw the Chaos Emerald to the ground and kneeled like a knight would. Amy gasped and took a step back.

"Is this some kind of joke?" asked Silver. "How could you be the one to destroy Australia?" Silver Shook his head and pushed Amy aside. "Doesn't matter. For the sake of the future, I must destroy you."

Silver was just about to deliver the final blow, when a scream came from the other side of the general area. Metal looked over as Eggman in his new Eggmobile took Elise in the large hands and flew off. "You're not getting away again." Sonic looked over and started running after him, Shadow skating right after.

Metal ran off and was about to take off, but Silver grabbed him in with his mental power. "Don't you dare walk away from me! This will end, now." Silver, again, was about to do the deed, but a ball of fire hit Silver in the face.

A purple and royal looking cat jumped from the roof and stood guarding Metal. "I can't let you do that Silver."

"Aaarrrr… enough of this. Get out of my way or I'll destroy you too." Silver clutched his chest as a wave of pain hit him.

Blaze shook her head sadly. "You really don't remember… fine then." She turned her head to Metal. "Hurry and go. Two of your friends are in the warehouse district of New City."

Metal nodded and grabbed his sword and the Emerald. "That you… Blaze, is it?"

Blaze nodded. Metal shot away after Eggman, Elise, and, unfortunately enough, Sonic the Hedgehog.

-break-

After twenty minutes of getting absolutely nowhere with tourists who didn't know where anything was, Metal came across the warehouse district (completely by accident) and saw a large green figure, and a small black figure.

Metal ran up to Vector and Shadow, the both of them staring off at the ocean. "Vector! You're alive!"

Vector turned around and grinned. "Hey, it's my favorite robot. Sorry we couldn't meet up sooner, but I got sidetracked."

Shadow turned around, his serious demeanor returning. "Eggman got away, but he asked me to give you this." Shadow tossed a card with Eggman's insignia on it. Metal flipped it over and a hologram of Eggman popped up. The hologram spoke.

"Metal Sonic… if you want to see the princess again, then give me the Chaos Emeralds you possess. If you don't, the princess will not be coming home anytime soon, if you catch my drift. I'll be waiting in White Acropolis. You can't miss it." The hologram shut off and Metal tossed it to Vector. Vector caught it and crushed it with one hand.

"He's pretty sure of himself" said Vector as he tossed the remains of the card away

"It's an obvious trap. We all now how Eggman works" Shadow said as he crossed his arms.

Metal pulled out the three Emeralds that were not inside him and let them float over his palm.

"I have a plan." Metal said at last. "It's risky, but-"

"We're with you all the way, boss."

"Whatever you have planned can't be worse than what Eggman has in store."

Metal tossed an Emerald to each of them. "Well, since Eggman was kind enough to tell us where he is, I'll have to thank him-personaly."

-Author's Note-

... Yep. More Chapters.

Sincerely,

Someone running out of witty stuff to say.


	22. Metal Vs Sonic round 2

**Metal vs. Sonic: Sonic vs. Memories**

Tails mouth tasted like rocks. That was the first thing he noticed as he gained consciousness. The second thing he noticed was that he wasn't dead, and that left Tails feeling refreshed.

He opened his eyes, but shut them tight again. It might have been night out, but the bright snow stung his eyes.

"He's waking up" a familiar female voice said.

"I told you the minerals would work" said a non familiar voice of an old man.

Someone with really big hands shook Tails violently. "Hey, Tails" called Knuckles into Tails ear. "You awake yet? We could use your help right about now"

Tails slapped Knuckled hand away and groaned. He rubbed his eyes and opened them, slowly adjusting to the brightness of the snow. Knuckles kneeled next to him, while Rouge and an elderly hedgehog stood a few feet away.

The elder hedgehog grinned like a fool at Rouge. "And you thought rocks could only be looked at."

Rouge rolled her eyes. "Those were minerals. Those are completely different."

"No they ain't. Minerals come from the ground, don't they?"

"But jewels contain a beauty that can not be surpassed. Your rocks are nothing like that!" Rouge crossed her arms and turned away.

"Beauty comes in many forms" the old hedgehog scowled. Then he smiled devilishly. "Not that you'd know about it with all the make-up you wear."

Knuckles suddenly yelled, "Shut up you old bat!"

Both of the arguers turned and looked both angry and confused at Knuckles.

Tails giggled, "Which one, Knuckles?"

"Both of them." Knuckles was slapped in the face, and hit on the head by a cane. He gripped his head and crawled away.

The elderly one bent over Tails. "Hello, young one. My name is Henry. I'm the one that saved you from the bleeding that robot caused."

Tails eyes widened and he jolted up, noticing the bandages covering various parts of him. "What happened! Is Vector and Shadow okay?"

Rouge nodded. "They're fine. Shadow and Omega had to go off and help Metal. Vector ended up all the way at New City on his trip through the ocean."

"What are you doing here anyway, Rouge?" Tails asked, really thinking about it now.

"I was on a special mission for G.U.N. As it turns out, Dr. Eggman had stolen some research on the beta of a powerful weapon developed here in Soleanna. I was sent to retrieve the blueprints back. But…" Rouge hesitated for a moment.

Knuckles cut in and puffed out his chest. "But 'The World's Greatest Treasure Hunter' got herself trapped behind enemy lines, so the real deal came in to rescue her." Knuckles went back to looking serious. "I really came up because I had sensed a Chaos Emerald. And something stronger."

Rouge sighed. "The weapon that Eggman's building is capable of not just destroying the world, but the entire universe. He's building… a time machine."

Tails looked skeptical. "A Time Machine? I don't really believe in stuff like that."

Henry coughed quite loudly. "It's true, though. He can recreate a truly terrifying scenario if he gets his hand on a Chaos Emerald or a Time Stone."

"A Time Stone?" asked Tails quizzically.

"Something that can no longer be attained through conventional means, a Time Stone is one of six stones capable of sending the user to any point in history. With one, you can go to a known point in history, but with all of them time is your play ground. They used to only exist once a year, but a friend of ours sensed that they were ripped away from their home of Little Planet and scattered across the present time. We have four of them, but the last two belong to the Princess of Soleanna, and Sonic."

Tails gasped. He took a step back and his eyes were pulled down to the ground. "But… Sonic would… I mean…"

Knuckles interrupted. "Sonic has already tampered with the time stream, but that was controlled by our special friend. However, we need to get it back before he does something stupid. That's where you come in."

Rouge's ears lowered slightly. "We know that you care about Sonic, but we need to stop him. I don't like to get in these situations, but Shadow and my friends are in danger.

Henry breathed in sharply though his nose and then coughed. "You need to make a choice, Tails. You need pick between your promise and your friend. I know it's hard, but you must hurry, because Metal and Sonic are going to meet each other in a few minutes."

Tails was shaking, his whole body racked with the pain of his sorrow. He looked up, a sad smile on his face "It's not that difficult to decide… Metal has been a better Sonic than Sonic has."

It was grim humor that left them all inwardly defeated.

-break-

The last search light fell over, leaving the path clear for the heavily armored black and red jeep. A very large robot tried to block its path, but two missiles made short work of the thing.

Shadow grinned and pumped his fist. "Ah, explosives," he said poetically. "The cause of, and solution to, all of life's problems."

"Amen!" cried Vector and Metal from the back seat. Metal currently had his gun out and was shooting anything that was not an easy target for their jeeps built is missiles. Vector smashed anything that somehow managed to get close enough to do some damage. It seemed nothing could stand in there way.

Except for a gap that the jeep could not hope to jump. Shadow braked and just barely stopped their vehicle in front of the seemingly bottomless pit. The three of them leaped out and quickly discussed their plan one last time.

"Alright, then," said Metal as he pointed to Vector. "You create the biggest distraction you can create, and maybe take down some of Eggman's primary defenses while you're at it."

Vector tore a missile launcher from the jeep. "No sweat, boss" he said as he cocked it.

"And you, Shadow will go ahead and see if you can sneak you're way into the base."

Shadow pulled out his green Chaos Emerald. "Got it."

"And if that fails, I'll trade this Emerald for Elise." He pulled out the cyan Emerald. Then he said with humor in his voice, "We can always take it from him later."

The three of them nodded, and went their separate ways.

Metal inwardly smiled as the sound of explosions tearing apart the walls of the Egg base filled the air. It seemed that nothing could stop the would be hero from saving the day. The doors of the facility were coming up, and there was only an expanse of snow from him to the door.

Metal stopped suddenly and put up his guard. This was _always_ the part when something bad happened.

A tornado, some how blue in color, appeared around Metal, trying to root him from the ground and toss him about. Metal jammed his sword in the ground and kept himself firmly in place by holding on to the hilt. Snow swirled around at an intense speed that would have ripped through him like paper.

Metal could feel it, though. The Chaotic equivalent of Shadow's famous Chaos blast. But who could possibly be generating this power and not pass out from energy exertion?

As quickly as it had come it ended. Metal looked up, and there stood Sonic, his arm held out to the side as if he had snuffed out the wind with a wave of his hand.

They stared each other down, both unwilling to move. Then, in a flash, the both of them charged at each other at their top speeds. They rammed each other and flew back a few feet from the recoil. Sonic regained his composure faster than Metal and charged again. He leapt into the air and performed the physics breaking homing attack. Metal activated his Yellow Shield, which bounced Sonic away. Metal's hand glowed and he tossed his whips at Sonic. Sonic reacted too fast for Metal and ran to the side. He appeared behind Metal and kicked, but was blocked by Metal's sword as it and the jewel in its hilt glowed a yellow to match Metal's other Chaos maneuvers. Metal parried Sonic's foot and slashed at him. Sonic ducked back and did a quick roll backwards. Metal's gun arm shifted and the barrel pointed at Sonic as he leaped up. And then Sonic smirked.

"Tell me" Sonic said in a calm voice, "Have you truly awakened yet?"

Metal took a step back. "What are you talking about?" Metal then noticed Sonic wearing some oddly shaped rings on his wrists.

Sonic chuckled. "So, Figure .09 hasn't taken full effect yet? All the better for me then."

"What are you talking about." Metal said hectically. "I-I've heard of it before from someone else. What is this all powerful thing that rests in me?"

Sonic stood still, a smirk plastered on his face.

"Tell me Sonic…" Metal demanded darkly. "I'm not afraid to pull the trigger, right here right now. I have enough hatred of you to last me a life time."

"Really?" asked Sonic as he pointed a finger at Metal. "Prove it."

Metal's arm shook for a moment. He wanted to fire, oh so desperately. It would be easy. Just tell Tails and the rest of them that Sonic got caught in the cross fire, have a funeral for him, and then take his place as Tails best friend, Knuckles annoyance, Shadow's rival…

Metal's arm shifted back to normal. There were so many things wrong with that thought he had just had. No one would forgive Metal, not even himself and especially not Tails. He did not want to be Sonic anymore… there were simply too many things wrong with Sonic for him to be a practical persona to steal. Metal wanted to be his own person now, and that person was made by Sonic, something that Metal could never repay, not in a million years.

Sonic chuckled again. "Well, metal head, it looks like you and I are more alike than we first thought."

"Like you?" Metal said defiantly. "No Sonic… I am not like you. I could be mean… I could be angry… you know…" His eyes, for a moment, glinted with a tiny bit of understanding. "I could be just like you."

Sonic gritted his teeth.

"I could be cold, Sonic, and I could be stupid. I could be just like you. You thought your form stood a basis for my current being. No. You were only in my way. You're wrong if you think I'll be just like you."

Sonic yelled and jumped into the air. Once he was over Metal, one of the things on his wrists glowed for a brief moment, and Sonic suddenly shot down like a ball. Metal put up his sword up in defense and bounced him back up, but was caught off guard as Sonic bounced back down again.

That's when Metal realized what the rings Sonic was wearing were. Sonic had come fully equipped in order to take down Metal. Why would Sonic go through so much trouble to destroy Metal? Metal knew they hated each other, but this was different. Sonic wasn't toying with him anymore. Could this Figure .09 truly be so powerful as to be the reason Sonic and Eggman teamed up? Was Figure .09 a threat physically to the world, or was it something that tormented Sonic and Eggman, filling the both of them with shame?

With a flurry, Metal flung Sonic away. He charged forward, and when he was close enough, began to attack in a dance like fashion with his blade, cutting Sonic in several places. But his skin… it was tough, like the rubber of a tire. Metal could barely scratch him.

Sonic punched Metal away and charged up his spin dash. He let loose, and Metal was tripped, and before he could get up he was ran over. Metal flew up and hovered in the air for a moment, trying to catch his opponent with his eyes. He saw Sonic charging up another spin dash, but sparks of energy were being sucked in as well. Metal charged, intending to stop him mid spin, but Sonic suddenly stopped. In a blink, Sonic zipped through the air, hitting Metal with a spin dashing, multiple hit homing attack. Metal was tossed around in the air for a minute before getting a chance to put up his shield. Sonic's barrage continued, but the shield would not weaken, as Metal had two Emeralds to keep his energy high.

Finally Sonic landed, looking less than pleased with his progress. "Well Metal, you have forced me to use force." Sonic held up his hand, and Metal kept his shield on, waiting for the next melee move. So Metal was surprised when a ball of blue colored energy appeared is Sonic's hand.

"Sonic Wind!" Sonic suddenly shouted, and a gust of blue wind shot from his hand. It must have been made of Chaos Energy, because it passed right through Metal's shield, and blew him back quite far.

Metal got back up, a little shorted out from the sudden and well aimed attack. He spoke, his voice racked with surprise. "You can use Chaos Energy?"

Sonic gave his trademark grin. "Yep, and only you, me, and good ol' Egg belly know about it. I don't like to use it if I can avoid it, but you'll be gone by the end of tonight and no one will ever know."

Metal's head tilted to the side. "Why, though? Why keep such things secret?"

"You know why, Metal. And that's why you can't exist any more. Sonic Wind!"

Another blast of wind struck Metal, forcing him back and causing more damage. Metal shook it off and ran forward, his sword dragging through the snow. Sonic shot more wind, but Metal leaped from side to side as he closed in, making it hard for Sonic to take aim. Sonic started running while shooting his Sonic Wind attack, and Metal still fallowed close behind.

"Sonic, stop!" cried a voice that caused both combatants to stop. Tails flew in and landed between Sonic and Metal. Sonic froze in place, but Metal grabbed Tails in a forceful hug, forgetting the battle that was taking place.

"Tails, thank the heavens above, I had thought something bad had happened" Metal said, relief apparent in his voice.

Tails, who was used to the robots moods by now, returned the hug. "Don't worry, Metal, nothing bad happened to me. I'm just glad you're all right."

Sonic watched this, his face devoid of expression. Tails was… hugging that _machine_. And Metal showed feelings, things that should not have been his. There was a light between the two, a soft, gentle light that would melt the heart of any stone hearted being.

And Sonic was not the one to create that light. For a brief moment, Sonic was sad.

Tails broke away from Metal and stared Sonic down with his kind eyes. "Why are you doing this, Sonic? Metal won't hurt us anymore. Please, Sonic, help us. Stop this pointless fighting. Metal would even sacrifice his pride to show you that he has changed."

Hearing this, Metal bent down and kneeled in front of Sonic, an act that was both painful and liberating at the same time.

Sonic stood still for a moment, while a cold wind blew Sonics quills and Tails's tails.

"No" Sonic said emotionless.

Tails went wide eyed. "B-But why?"

"You don't understand, Tails. There's a lot here that should never be understood."

"Then tell me! I'm your friend Sonic, but if you try to hurt Metal anymore," Tails put up his fists, "I'll fight you myself."

Sonic's face turned back to normal and he laughed. "Jeez, Tails, I had no idea you wanted to see her _that_ badly."

Tails eyes welled up with tears, and Metal sparked.

"Be serious, Tails. You might be fast, but you could never take me on."

Tails was about to cry when Metal stepped in front of him and growled, "You insensitive asshole. How dare you talk to Tails that way? Tails, who single handedly stopped a missile from destroying Station Square. Tails, who took on a gun shooting madman to protect that city's inhabitants. Tails, the one who saved your blue behind more times than my super brain can count." Tails was grabbed by Metal, and Tails looked happily at Metal. "I'll show you Tails power. We both will. Ready Tails?"

"What are you doing?" cried Tails as he was heaved into the air."

"Showing Sonic our real power." Tails was surrounded by yellow energy and began spinning rapidly at the end of Metal's gun barrel.

Sonic realized to late what was happening, yet still he tried to run away.

"Chaos… Dash!" Tails was shot forward at a breakneck speed, and crashed into Sonic, knocking him into the air. Metal shot forward next and hit Sonic hard. Tails came back for a second hit, and then Metal, and the Tails, and then Metal.

Sonic fell to the ground, bruised in more place than his pride. Metal and Tails landed gentler, in battle ready positions.

Sonic slowly stood back up. Blood trickled from hid lip and ran down his jaw. His head shook violently. But he was still smiling. "Haven't had a beating like that for a while guys. Nice job."

Metal and Tails stood their ground, Tails looking more confident than before.

"I'm afraid it's time for this to end, though. Good job, Metal. You've made me have to use my last resort." Sonic pulled out his blue Emerald, and held it out for his next attack.

Tails gasped, and Metal ran forward, reaching for the Emerald.

"Chaos Con-" Sonic was cut off as Metal grabbed the Emerald. The both of them were shocked by the Emerald's raw power, and their eyes glowed, lost to the vision they both saw.

The biologist from before had The Seven Chaos Emeralds hooked up to a machine, though its exact shape was a blur to Metal. The underground lab was abuzz with gears whirring and whatnot. Metal tried to focus on any one thing but could not. He could see the whole room, even though his focus did not shift in any direction.

Suddenly he realized he could see two being in the lab. But… there were no less beings than there had been before in these visions. The other being was… a brown hedgehog. Had Metal met him before? He seemed familiar.

"I'm sorry you had to do that, Henry" said the biologist as he tinkered with what appeared to be a treadmill.

"It's no prob, doc" said this Henry, even though he sounded sad. "I'm sure Sally will thank me later."

The biologist shook his head and turned around to face Henry. "It wasn't fair for me to ask such a thing of you. If you hate me, it's a very logical thing of you to do."

"Forget it; let's just get this thing going." Henry stepped on to the treadmill and directed a stern gaze forward.

Metal saw them. Those emerald green eyes that had plagued him since the day he was created. Eyes full of life, spirit, kindness, and all the things Metal wanted.

Metal saw the eyes of Sonic the Hedgehog.

_**Get out of my head!**_

Metal and Sonic were thrown back from each other like the poles of a magnet. Tails ran over to Metal and reached down to pull him up. The second he did a jolt of electricity shot through him causing him to leap back. Metal glowed a fierce yellow, much like how Shadow would when he was filled with rage.

Sonic leaped back, his form and irises glowing a deep blue while clutching the Emerald tightly with one hand. Metal floated back up, his lenses filled with light.

"So…" said Metal as he pointed his sword at Sonic, "You're the hedgehog I've seen in my visions."

Sonic frowned and his body shook violently. "It ends now Metal." Sonic raised a hand at Metal and shouted, "Sonic Tornado!"

Tails stood beside Metal and had quickly regretted the decision as the wind picked up and started to spin around them rapidly.

Metal stuck his blade in the ground and held on to Tails. "I am here" whispered Metal angelically to Tails. "The wind cannot move a mountain."

As the wind spun faster and faster, tears began to come from Tails, and he held on to Metal tighter and tighter.

The wind died and Sonic fell over, panting and sweating from exhaustion. Metal held a crying Tails in one arm, and his other arm held his sword firmly in the ground.

Metal sparked with great bolts of lightning and cried, "Chaos Discharge!" And lightning shot in every direction from wear Metal stood.

Sonic took a full blast from a bolt and was launched back, skidding through the snow while smoldering, his fur blackened with ash.

Metal held Tails close while shushing in his ear and rubbing the back of his head. Sonic stood up slowly one last time and limped away, revenge plaguing his mind.

But somewhere, in the back of his mind, where he had not been for so long he could not remember when the last time was, he felt regret. In another time, in another place, they could have been friends. If only he had not made that mistake, so long ago…

-Author's Note-

I'll finish this story one of these days.

Sincerely,

Me.


	23. Time Management

**Time Management**

Metal and Tails glared at the egg shaped man who had given them so much grief throughout their existences. This man they regarded with hate, but at the same time, a sort of strange respect. This man, who held Elise in an arm and sneered like the humorous madman that he was, was the source of all their displeasure, but to a greater extent, their life's excitement.

"You're late," Eggman said with distaste, though he looked more than happy to see them.

Metal and Tails stood in a white metal room with only one window, though it was some really clear glass, as it looked like it wasn't even there. This window, however, led not to the outside world, but rather to a control room, where Eggman and Elise were, Eggman looking pleased, Elise looking frightened.

"We would have been here sooner," said Metal as he held up a broken ring, "But the welcome wagon you prepared side tracked us."

"Right then, let's just cut to the chase: did you bring the Chaos Emeralds?"

Metal shook his head and held up the light blue Emerald. "Unfortunately for you, I've only got one I can part with right now."

"Good enough. Place it right there." A stand rose from the iron ground. Metal saw Elise shake her head in a pleading manner. This was a trap if there ever was one. He would have to time it perfectly.

"Are you sure about what you're doing, Metal?" asked Tails as he placed a hand on Metal's shoulder.

Metal nodded. "I'm sure." Metal placed the Emerald on the stand and watched as it sunk into the ground. Metal's scanners picked up the Chaos Energy starting to power something.

Eggman laughed manically, shoved Elise aside, and (overdramatically, in Metal's opinion) pressed a tiny red button on a stand.

Quick as lightning, Metal pushed Tails into the hall just in time as a force field of energy erupted from the ceiling, trapping Metal inside. The cloaked one caught Tails, at the same time throwing something into the room just as the field completely fell. Shadow appeared… well, crashed into the field during a Chaos Control, proving that the field was Chaos proof. He slid down the field in a very comedic way.

Metal looked down at the thing that the stranger had tossed in. It was pitch black with red highlights, and looked like it was made of glass. Metal picked it up.

"Ho, ho, ho, ho, this will be like old times, ay, Metal?" laughed Eggman as he began to press a few buttons on the control panel. "This is my greatest creation yet! And you'll get to test it out. It'll be just like when I sent you back in time to muck up the past. Good times, right Metal?" Eggman was oblivious to the stranger's presence, and to the orb.

Elise gasped and looked again at Metal. Now it all made sense. The betrayal Eggman talked about, when that blue hedgehog called him a robot, why he was not surprised by a time device.

"That's not exactly something I'm proud of." Metal looked over at his friends, who were trying desperately to destroy the force field. All of them, except the cloaked one. Metal looked into his red eyes, then at his sword that looked like Metal's sword's twin, than at the orb in his hands.

And it suddenly clicked. The universe suddenly made a little more sense to him.

"This is it Metal," said Eggman as he walked over to a large lever. "I have no idea where this thing will drop you of at. Could be the distant past, or the far flung future. Although, if it was the past, we would have probably seen two of you by now."

"Yes I suppose we would have," said Metal as he tapped the orb.

"Any last words to your friends? You might not see them for a while."

Metal turned to Tails and Shadow, who had given up on trying to break through. "Shadow… you were the first person to ever show me kindness of a sort. I know it was you who saved me from total deactivation that faithful day on the Flagship, you and E-123. And you surprised me again when you stopped me from completely destroying myself to save you. You were the first to care if I survived.

"Tails… I wouldn't have made it anywhere without you. Shadow might have given me the opportunity, but you gave me the chance. You showed me trust, understanding, and so many other things I do not deserve. I confided in you my dreams, and you shared yours with me. I will miss you most of all in my time gone."

Eggman 'hmfed.' "Alright, enough of that. Let's get this show on the road." Eggman gripped the handle of the lever and pulled back.

Metal was pulled up in the air and began swirling around the room rapidly. While he was spinning, he focused all of his energy into the orb. The orb began to glow and sputter violently, and he tossed it down, just as he disappeared into the swirling vortex of time.

Shadow and the stranger barely had enough time to Chaos Control Tails and Elise to safety as the Chaos Blast destroyed the base.

-break-

The Babylon Rogues fell from the swirling blue portal and onto the clean side walk of where ever it was they had been sent to. Jet was on the bottom of the pile they made, Wave second, and as luck would have it Storm was on top.

Storm quickly got up and looked around while placing a giant hand on his head. "What happened?"

Wave got up. She was disoriented and wobbled slightly. An unholy crack came from Jet's back as he stood back up. "What the?" he said as he looked around. "Where are we? This ain't Soleanna."

It was far different than the lush green forest they had just been in, this they were sure of. Now they stood in an industrial and very, very large city. It was certainly futuristic, giving the three rouges the impression that they might have traveled through time. The streets were so clean and smooth, one might think they were made of pure energy. A few advanced looking cars with electricity on the underside in place of wheels drove by them every now and then.

It definitely looked like a city, in terms of various placed buildings, but everything was taller, and all the signs were written in a language they'd never seen before.

"We must be dreaming," said Wave as she brought a hand to her beak. "That guy can't be so powerful to have done this. Whatever he's done."

"I told you," cried Storm as he pointed at Wave. "I told you we shouldn't have bugged that guy. But you said he'd never notice while his head was in that book, but he noticed when we got the shiny stone, and he punished us." He suddenly started chattering his teeth together. "Wh-what if he w-was one of th-those super natural guys from the top of th-the top of th-that big mountain?"

A few animal persons in futuristic clothing to match the situation walked by them and gave them strange looks. Jet looked at them funny as well. He then looked down at the rock they had swiped from their former payer. Jet had a foreboding feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"You mean a god?" asked Wave, looking surprised.

"Yeah, like in that book I read. Maybe it's that Ares guy. He does have burning eyes like him."

"Storm," said Jet. "That is both incredibly stupid and very smart of you. But I don't think he did this. I think it was this rock."

"What?" asked Wave. "You think the stone sent us here?"

A large black floating limousine pulled next to them. The Babylon Rogues stopped their conversation and looked at the window as it rolled down. A black hedgehog looked out at them, with piercing green eyes. He looked like he might have been Shadow the Hedgehog's long lost twin, except where the red would have been, there was a ghostly blue. There was one thing pretty strange about this person, however, that made the Rogues slightly fear him.

He had no mouth. So it was even more startling to the Rogues when he spoke and his muzzle moved as if he did.

"Impeccable timing," the hedgehog said in a deep, commanding voice that was so smooth and clear it was almost unbelievable it was mortal. "You three are just in time for your latest assignment."

The Rouges looked nervous. "What assignment is that?" asked Wave nervously, getting ready to pull out her extreme gear and flee.

"An assignment that, if not completed, could lead to the destruction of the universe. And your reward? To return to your time era, _alive_." The hedgehog's door slid open automatically and he motioned them inside. An elderly hedgehog sat in the vehicle as well, smiling a toothy grin. "Let's talk details as we drive over to the mission destination."

"Who are you?" asked Jet, a little more confident after seeing the elderly one for some reason.

"… I am Mephiles… Mephiles the Dark."

-break-

The five of them sat in somewhat silence as the limousine self-drove itself to where they were going. The elderly one, Henry, snored slightly, as he had fallen asleep. Storm was messing with a floating, holographic touch screen that beeped whenever he touched something. Jet and Wave stared at Mephiles, who in turn stared back, unblinking.

A small bar full of food came out from the roof after Mephiles pressed a button. "Drink? I would partake of this 'soda' I've heard is quite tasty, but as you can imagine, I'm in no position to even try it."

Jet gulped took a can of Chaos Cola, still popular in the future, and Wave spoke up. "Alright, Mephiles, what is it you want from us? We've been sitting here for the last ten minutes doing nothing, and the fact that you aren't blinking is giving me the creeps."

Mephiles nodded. "Very well. I suppose you do deserve an explanation of why I'm not like most mortals, but that must wait for another day.

"The stone you stole from the cloaked one is what sent you here. 'Here' is actually two-hundred years in the future. As you can see, much will change.

"The stone you now hold is one of six, the others being held by the cloaked one in the past, Shadow in the past, though I doubt he realizes what he was given, Sonic in the now, and myself of the now."

"Sonic is here?" squawked Jet as his features changed from nervous to surprised and irritated.

Mephiles nodded slowly. "He, however, is misusing his stone for personal reasons. We require you to intercept him at the location we are heading, and spy on him to learn of his motives. I would have you simply steal the stone from him, but due to time paradox complications, you cannot yet."

"Where are we going anyway?" asked Wave as she looked out her window at the amazing complexes.

"We are currently on our way to the base of the future's greatest hero: Silver the Hedgehog. Sonic is somewhere in the building. All you must do is navigate your way to the central computer room, where, if they are not already there, you will be able to check the security cameras and sound systems for them. I know that Sonic and Silver will be in the same room together. They are friends, to a degree."

"Anything you would like to warn us about," Jet stated more than asked.

"Yes… if you get caught the time stream will collapse on itself and existence will no longer exist, so try to be extra careful."

""Gee, thanks for the warning" Wave said sarcastically. "Why are we doing this?"

"If you don't, you'll stay here for the rest of your lives."

"That doesn't sound so bad" said Jet.

"And existence will try to destroy the three beings that should not exist in this timeline" Mephiles said cheerfully,

"Wonderful."

"When you have the information you need, meet us in the center of the city near the golden statue of Sonic." He paused. "You can't miss it" he added irritably.

Jet nodded. "Come on, Rogues. Time to save the universe from a time space rift we caused… again."

-break-

The Babylon Rogues usual stealth/speed skills failed them in this environment. First of all they could not simply speed through the hallways, due to all the cameras lurking about. Second, the future did not require ventilation, so there were no ventilation shafts to sneak through. They had to wait for a camera to look the other way, run like idiots, and hope that the next camera was facing the other way. Surprisingly, that was the only security the place had. But if Silver was as powerful as they'd heard, then it probably didn't matter.

Twenty minutes of this later, the Rouges walked down a hallway that lacked cameras. The three had seen and looked in multiple rooms, but had yet to find to computer room. So far they had found five bathrooms, four recreation rooms, a gym, and what appeared to be a personal movie theatre.

"Jeez," said Storm as he looked around the hall. "This place is huge! How are we goin' to find this place?"

Wave grinned. "Remember what our parents used to say? 'You'll always find treasure in the last place you look'. The last place anyone would look is the least guarded area."

"Shh," whispered Jet suddenly. "I hear voices in the next room. I think it's them."

Jet, Storm, and Wave peeked through the open doorway at Sonic and, apparently, Silver, both of which standing in front of large computer.

"So Megalo was just a weaker robot," said Silver as he punched his fist into his other palm.

"That's right," said Sonic as he plugged a data chip into the wall and started to type on the keyboard. "Metal Sonic was his name back then. He was a power hungry machine, bent on getting the Chaos Emeralds to make himself a truly terrifying monster. He tricked a bunch of people to help him, and they almost had the Emeralds, too. But moi made sure that didn't happen. He found a substitute that I didn't know about until too late however." A few screen shots of Metal Sonic, old and new, some with him holding a sword, appeared, as well as a picture of a stone that glowed with the many colors of the rainbow. "I don't know where he got it, but this stone let him turn into what he is in this time. But if we go back and destroy him before he gets the stone, Australia will be saved."

"Alright then, Sonic, lead the way. Did you bring your time machine?"

"Sonic the Hedgehog doesn't need any machine. I got something better." Sonic pulled out a shining gem and held it up. A swirling portal appeared and Sonic jumped in. Silver hesitated a moment before jumping in.

The Babylon Rogues walked in after the hedgehogs left. "Not very smart to leave your computer on while you're away," sang Wave as she proceeded to check the files.

"Does this mean that Metal guy we helped isn't a good guy?" asked Storm as he walked around.

Jet shook his head. "No way. Metal's cool, I can tell. Something's fishy, and it's not the tuna sandwich I ate two-hundred years ago."

"Strange," said Wave as she read the files. "It says here that Metal went mad with power, but there's a gap. It makes a brief mention of someone dying before this happened, but it doesn't give a name, or why it's relevant. Sonic didn't mention everything here: he tricked Silver, but how and why, I'm not sure."

"Let me see," Jet walked over to the computer screen and skimmed over some of the files. He frowned. "I knew it. I saw the glint of thievery in his eye. Sonic doesn't want to save the future; he just wants Metal destroyed, so he's sending this Silver guy to do it."

"But why, boss? Why does Sonic want Metal gone so bad that he would do so much work?"

"I'm not sure, Storm. Come on, we need to get this info back to Mephiles. We got to get back and help the rest of them."

-break-

"Mephiles," said Henry gently as he nudged Mephiles with his cane. "I can't ever tell if you're spacing out 'cause you don't have eyelids. Something wrong?"

Mephiles looked up from the grass he had been paying so much attention to, at stared at his companion, who sat on the bench with him while the glare from the Sonic statue glared in his face. The Rogues stood in front of them, having just delivered the chip and what they had heard.

"I'm a little afraid Henry," said Mephiles, though he still sounded deep and confident. "Sonic is doing almost the same thing I did… I'm beginning to see just how demented I was."

"Don't you worry, Mephiles" said Henry as he placed a hand on his shoulder. "We can do this as long as we use that overused cliché: teamwork."

"…" Mephiles was silent.

"Excuse me," said Jet as he raised a brow, his team looking irritated. "What exactly are we going to do now?"

Mephiles stood up and crossed his arms while looked the other way. "We must retrieve the Time Stone from Sonic. I feel that he has traversed time again, and is now in the ruined continent of Australia."

"Why Australia?" asked Wave as she scratched her head. "Why'd he destroy that place first?"

"Not really sure," said Henry. "Well, we better get moving. We need to hurry before Megalo wakes and the land becomes unbearable for mortals."

"Unbearable?" asked Storm frantically.

"Oh, yes," said Mephiles. "When Megalo moves, there's enough smog to eat the ozone layer four times over. It's only during the day that the smog is burned and the land over there can be walked on. Even still, it will only be with my power that your heads don't explode from the other chemicals in the air."

The Babylon Rouges gulped all at the same time. They each swore silently to themselves not to steal again… for a few months.

-break-

Yes sire, I'm just mucking everything up, aren't I? Sorry for the wait, school, other stories, yatta, yatta. Ask a question and I'll try to respond.

Sincerely,

Like I actually have to type this.


	24. Mephiles Vs Megalo

**Mephiles and Jet vs. Megalo Metal**

Such horror was almost too difficult to describe. The sky was not visible in any way, as orange clouds obscured the view. What appeared to be clumped up hills from afar were piles and piles of twisted, disfigured piles of metal scrap. There was no actual ground to stand on, and as far as the eye could see, there was nothing but metal destruction. Large gashes that looked like it had been made by gargantuan claws were here and there in the wreckage. The stench would have made anyone_ want_ to stop breathing. It was the smell of an oil factory a million times over, mixed with two-hundred years of… decay.

Skeletal pieces, some hard to describe, some bent horrendously, were scattered here and there in the carnage, petrified from the chemicals and smog.

Wave was ready to puke. Storm was hyperventilating. Jet looked about ready to pass out. Henry looked like he was about to have a panic attack. And Mephiles? He looked indifferent.

But looks can be deceiving.

The smog billowed out from a gracefully welded pile of scrap in the distance, made to look like a castle and a factory put together. However, it was not perfect, and looked liked someone had taken a hammer and hit it, making it crack like a rock. The building was gargantuan, and the door was colossal. That was, unfortunate as it was, their destination. It was always the most deadly looking place, wasn't it?

"It's horrible," said Wave at last, breaking the silence that had built up since they had arrived.

"It is, isn't it?" said Mephiles as he turned his head to look around. "A few years of hate led to two-hundred years of destruction. Truly, a more disturbing concept is difficult to find."

"Come on," said Jet as he pulled out his board and hopped on. "Let's just hurry up and find Sonic. We can change the past if we get back to our own time, right?"

Henry nodded slowly. "It can be changed, but it must be done very carefully."

"We'll talk plans when we get the Time Stone and get back to the past" said Mephiles.

Storm gulped and revved up his bike type gear. "Can we hurry up? This place is scarier than Jet's last birthday party."

Wave blushed. "I swear, the robots were only supposed to massage our scalps."

Henry chuckled. "I never did trust robots very much. Sort of a personal vendetta against machines." Henry coughed. "Don't worry about me, I'll just run."

"Run?" Jet scoffed. "No offense, but aren't you a little old to run through a wasteland?" Jet was a little confused as to why he even came along at all.

"I advise against it, Henry," said Mephiles as he pulled him over to storms Gear. "We need your power at full in case of an assault."

Henry huffed as he was placed behind Storm. "I could handle it. Why '_cough_' I was the fastest runner back in my day."

"Yes… I remember vividly." Mephiles began a jog, and then broke to a run that turned into energy skating. The Rogues started after him.

"Were you just humoring the old man back there?" asked Jet as he caught up with Mephiles.

Mephiles continued to stare forward. "I used to humor people… my sense of humor was a lot darker back then."

Jet raised a brow. "What, so Henry is actually supposed to be useful?"

"Looks can be deceiving. Trust me on this."

"It's not exactly like you've given me a reason to trust you."

"Perhaps." said Mephiles. "But you have no _good_ reason to distrust me."

Jet suddenly started looking around them. "Did you hear that?"

"Unfortunately, yes, I did."

Before their next thought happened, something tripped them, and they skidded across the metallic ground. The piles of metal around them started to sake and rumble. Quickly Jet and Mephiles looked around. Jet did not see his faithful teammates. Jet put away his Gear and pulled out a giant green fan, and held it like a sword. From the twisted metal around them came misshapen junk heaps that vaguely resembled the frames of living creatures. Some appeared to be lions or tigers, some flew and looked like birds, and then there was one large golem like creature holding a ball of hot metal.

Mephiles and Jet charged forward. Mephiles cried, "Chaos Lance!" and about four of the mecha heaps exploded in a purple flash. Jet looped his way in and out, slicing things through the middle, without ever stopping or slowing down.

One of the mechas leaped at Mephiles, catching him by surprise. His back was clawed at, and quills fell from his person in rock like chunks.

The fire ball wielding one threw its magma at Jet. Jet was distracted by a mecha bird heap at this time, and could not leap away in time before he was hit. Hot metal covered him, and he yelled in agony as he pried it off his feathers.

Mephiles blasted another bunch, and then took aim at the mecha golem heap. Just as he was about to launch his attack, he was dog piled by more mecha lion heaps. He struggled, but could not break free from their weight. He was slowly being crushed

Jet's feathers were blackened, but he was not deterred from fighting. But he was under serious attack as well. He sliced through another mecha, but another tackled him from the side, and bit him deep. If this was what they were dealing with, Jet hated to imagine what the old man and slightly incompetent friends were doing.

It was hard for Jet to describe what happened next. One second, there was a mecha thing in front of him, the next second Mephiles was on top of it, dropping an energy bolt in it's head, and the second after that, Mephiles destroyed the pile that was still on top of him.

Jet blinked. The pile _was_ on top of him while he was destroying mechas. And now that the pile was no longer on Mephiles, two Mephileses were in plain view for Jet to see. The Mephiles that was under the pile nodded and a purple fog formed behind him. This Mephiles turned around and jumped in. The Mephiles that was left yelled to Jet, "Stop gawking and run!" More mechas got arose from the ground and began to surround them. Before Jet could pull out his gear, Storm zipped past on his bike Gear, punching through the mechas like they were building blocks. Wave flew over them all on her glider, catching the heat blasts that blew from the ground. With speed worthy of an Olympic gold medal winner, Henry zipped by, his cane hanging off his wrist.

Jet shook his head and raced after them on his Gear. The mechas roared and chased after them. There were too many, so running was all they could do. Jet looked behind, and saw that their numbers were growing. Ahead of them, he saw that they had reached a deadly obstacle: a river of lava, separating the heaps of junk from the Cracked Compound. Henry leaped onto Storms bike, and the two jumped across. Wave simply flew right over it, and Jet, lucky as he was, saw a broken pipe he could use to grind across. Jet stopped so his heart could slow down and turned around. Mephiles had stopped in front of the river and was looking around frantically.

"What are you doing!" cried Jet from his side of the river.

"I can't get across!" yelled Mephiles.

"Can't you grind!"

"I… I can't!"

Jet gaped slightly. He shook it off. The mechas were still coming. "Jump and I'll catch you!"

"What!"

"Just do it!" Jet leaped back on his Gear and started to grind on the pipe. Mephiles took a step back, silently prayed, and leaped. Jet bounded upwards, caught Mephiles, switched his momentum around by doing a 360 and a flip combined, and grinded back to the Cracked Compound.

Mephiles fell out of Jet's arms the second they landed. He rolled across the ground a ways and then stopped, staring at the sky, then at Jet. "You… you saved me…"

Jet walked up to him and held out a hand. "I guess you're not as imposing as I first thought."

Mephiles looked straight up for a moment, then took Jet's hand. His muzzles sides bunched up as if he were smiling. "No. I suppose there's more to me than the fact that I don't blink."

-break-

Henry coughed louder than he had since the Rogues had met them. "Maybe I should take it easy. My back ain't what it used to be." Henry was currently being carried by Storm through the burning Compound. They were all tired and hot from the heat, but Henry looked worse for the wear.

"I warned you."

"Shut up, Mephiles. You don't know everything."

"I know enough."

The inside of the Compound was surprisingly boring. The hallways, though huge and imposing, lacked lethal decoration. There were no monsters, no traps, and the only issue was the random pools of lava and the lack of oxygen.

"So," said Jet after a while of them walking through the Cracked Compound. "What happened back there?"

Mephiles looked off to the side. "I flinched."

"Is that all?" asked Jet.

Henry chuckled slightly. "Come on, Mephy, tell the kids what the all imposing Mephiles the Dark is afraid of."

"Why do you call yourself the Dark?" asked Wave, ignoring the old man. "You don't seem very dark to me."

Mephiles' green eyes wandered to hers. "I was once, and still am. But who says Darkness is vile? What gives you that idea?"

Storm answered first. "Because darkness is what monsters are made of."

"True, most things of darkness you see are indeed monsters. But what about the things you don't see? Monsters of darkness are what you see most of the time, but what about the things that hide there because they have nowhere else to go?" Mephiles paused and stared at nothing. "Some creatures of the dark are born that way, and are persecuted on the spot. Do you believe you three, being born of thieves, deserve death for your parents actions?"

"Uh…"

"I didn't think so. I am dark, and I was a monster, and I will never let myself forget that."

"What was that power back there?" Jet asked. The question had been more than irritating him. "The thing where there were two of you for a moment."

"It is a power of mine. The power to tra-"

"Look!" Henry cried as he pointed over a particularly large pool of magma. Above it, hanging in mid air, was the Time Stone they had come for.

Mephiles looked around. "Where's Sonic? He was supposed to guard the Stone."

"Finders Keepers, as they say, Mephy." Henry ran out of Storms arms and leaped up in the air to grab.

Mephiles suddenly saw it. How could he be so stupid? "Don't touch it!" he cried.

A colossal red hand with silver fingers that appeared from the lava reached out and grabbed Henry in mid-air. The others staggered back a few steps at what they saw.

Out of the lava came a thing that looked like it might have been from hell itself. It was a huge, red version of Metal Sonic, yet it looked nothing like him at the same time. It had the same basic design, but so much eviler. Its chest was huge and clunky like the power generator to some horrendous machine, with tubes and wires coming out of itself and back in, but it still had the jet engine that Metal was famous for. It had three sharp, short fake quills on the back of its head that seemed both bigger and smaller than Metal's at the same time, due to its colossal size. Its face was like that of a trolls, with four sharp fangs sticking out of its mouth, small eye lenses relative to its size, a sharp pointed nose that was longer than Metal's relative to this things size, and the whole thing contorted into a look of sheer rage. Its lenses, however, were empty. Not even glowing iris' to signify that it could think.

"Megalo…" Mephiles said to himself as he felt the rage boil off of this metallic beast, "It this really what I was…?"

"Help!" cried Henry as he was crushed slowly by the hand that held him and forced him to look at his face. "It's me, Metal! It's Henry!"

Megalo tilted his head to the side for a moment, as if contemplating his words. Then, an ear splitting shriek came from Megalo, causing the Rogues and Mephiles to cover their ears. The roof began to fall, and the floor sank slightly. Soon their only exit was blocked off by lava.

"Stay back," said Mephiles to the Rogues after Megalo had stopped screaming. "I had hoped not to fight this creature and only take on Sonic, but I have no choice. You three keep yourselves safe. Megalo is too powerful for you."

Before Jet could say anything, Mephiles appeared out of a smoky portal near Megalo's hand and struck Henry out and away. The Mephiles in front of the Rogues caught Henry, set him down, and disappeared in another portal. Mephiles appeared from another portal and landed on Megalo's head and shot his generator with his Chaos Lance. The Mephiles that struck Megalo's hand leaped off of a stalagmite and into the swirling vertex. Megalo grabbed the Mephiles that was on his head, and tossed him away. Mephiles appeared before the Rogues from a portal, landing flat on the steel ground and looking bruised. The Mephiles that was heading for his doom disappeared through another portal.

Megalo roared, and its two arms shot off like rockets, aiming for the group. Storm stood his ground and grabbed one of them with his hands. The other arm missed Wave by a few inches and landed in the lava. Storm tossed the arm he held in after the other one. Megalo sparked slightly and Wave got an idea.

"If I don't make it" said Wave as she pulled out her glider Gear, "I just want you to know: I really hate you Mephiles."

"You wouldn't be the first" Mephiles wheezed from the ground.

Jet screamed as Wave jumped off their platform and over the lava. As she had hoped, her glider caught the hot air from the lava and she rose over the pool, and towards the beast.

Megalo backed up suddenly and rammed the wall behind it, causing large chunks of metal to fall from above. Jet closed his eyes, unable to watch as Wave swooped between debris so close to hitting her. Megalo roared at Wave and attempted to head butt her, but she performed a loop, dodging Megalo and tossing her favorite wrench into the workings of its generator. Megalo sparked and roared, but otherwise stood still, giving Wave the opportunity to fly back to the group.

"You're alive!" yelled Jet as he grabbed Wave in a forceful hug.

"Not for much longer" she said. "We need to beat this guy before he gets smart enough to destroy this platform. We need to throw stuff in his power supply, or at least stun him long enough to get the Time Stone."

"Actually-" started Henry, but was cut off by Storm.

"Look! He's doing something!"

Megalo's arms came back up from the lava, and it raised his hands high up. Then, with earth shattering force, Megalo punched the lava in front of itself and made a huge wave come forth.

The Rogues stared in horror and Mephiles probably would too (if he had enough facial features). But Henry took on a more determined look as he stepped forward, holding the purple Chaos Emerald. He seemed taller somehow as he began shaking violently, his emerald eyes taking on a blue hue. He held the Emerald forward, and the wave of lava slowed down, until it was just a few feet away. Henry gave a grunt, and the magma started to harden and cool, until it was a ramp made of metal and rock.

Henry fell over, eyes closed, but still conscious. The rest of them were frozen for a second, until Megalo started wading through the lava closer to them. Storm, thinking as fast as he ever had, jumped on his bike Gear and rode across the ramp and jumped, heading straight for Megalo's head. Storm reeled his arm back in mid-air and released its force upon the metal monster's head. Megalo roared and staggered back, clutching at the dent made in the side of its head. Storm bounced back from the recoil and skidded across their platform like a motorcyclist.

Megalo launched his arms again, crushing the hardened wall, but missing the heroes as the Rogues grabbed Mephiles and Henry. Mephiles was still down and Henry was panting heavily, so it was a miracle that they got out of the way in time.

Jet grinned and got a crazy idea in order to end this fight. Megalo's arms came back to it and he prepared to launch another assault. Jet rode around their platform, then turned sharply once he was on the side opposite Megalo. Megalo shot its arms out, and Jet shot forward and leaped. Using every ounce of skill he had, he landed on one of Megalo's arms, grinded across it, leaped, landed on the other and grinded on that one as well, and gave a final leap, throwing his fan in its open position at Megalo, and hitting its generator dead on. Megalo's generator gave a small boom, but it had enough power to trip up Jet in the air, and he tumbled of his Gear, his eyes becoming wide with fear.

Storm and Wave watched the scene in slow motion, while Mephiles calculated in his head as fast as he could in his weakened state. Across the chasm, Mephiles shot upwards, caught Jet, and the Mephiles on the platform got up and yelled to Storm, "Throw me up!"

Storm paused for a moment. "Wha-"

"Damn it all, just do it!" Without thinking, Storm grabbed Mephiles and tossed him as hard as he could up where another portal appeared, and Mephiles disappeared through it.

Jet somewhat lost his mind for a moment as he watched himself and Mephiles fall through the portal on the other side of the chasm, falling on the ground, turning his head quickly to look at Jet. Jet and the Mephiles that held him fell through the portal below, and Jet, for the briefest of times, knew everything.

Visions flew by so fast, they appeared to be light and shadows were all he could make out of what he did remember. There was a mighty figure, tall, imposing, ready to strike another shadow. The other shadow was imposing as well, but small compared to the other. It was knight shaped, and held the shadow of a sword, ready to strike the other.

Mephiles and Jet fell out of the portal and landed hard on the ground, and Jet quickly turned his head to see Mephiles and himself disappearing down another portal. Jet stood up, his feathers drenched in sweat. Before Wave had the chance to tackle Jet, Megalo roared, and the Cracked Compound began shaking horribly.

"We need to get out of here!" cried Storm over the sound of collapsing metal.

"But the Time Stone-aaahh," Wave yelled as she barely dodged a chunk of metal ceiling.

Henry coughed hurriedly. "I have it!" he yelled as he held the stone aloft. Mephiles grabbed it and pulled out another one, holding them ceremoniously.

"Time Break!" Mephiles cried, and everything around them turned negative like in a not yet fully developed picture, and the shaking stopped. They all stood in a frozen time space for… a moment? It was hard to measure time in a space without it. A hole in the fabric of space and time appeared, swirling and all powerful looking. Before anything else could be said, Wave, Storm, and Jet ran in. Henry put a foot in and turned his head with a tired smile. Mephiles made no motion to go after him, but instead held out the Time Stones. Henry nodded, and took them, heading through the portal, and turned time back on.

Mephiles turned to Sonic, who stared at the sinking Megalo, a smug smile on his face. Sonic turned his head to Mephiles, flashed a grin, and started hopping across the chunks of metal floating on the lava, and Mephiles gave chase.

-Author's Note-

Are you seriously expecting something useful here?


	25. Mephiles Vs Sonic

**Chapter 25: Mephiles vs Sonic**

**Mephiles vs. Sonic: Things that Never Happened, but Did**

Silver stood amongst the wreckage of the giant robot thingy that he had just taken down. It wasn't too bad, but the Black Knight made the fight difficult. That thing knew how to defend against stuff being thrown at it, and some sort of negative energy kept Silver from picking it up. Silver won in the end, but how he won left him a little baffled, though.

The light blue gem he held was familiar, yet not familiar at the same time. He knew what a Chaos Emerald was, of course, and he was no stranger to its energies, but this scene… it felt like he had seen it before, and he felt that something was missing.

The Chaos Emerald fell out of the flying saucer like robot after he'd beaten it, and he was jumped suddenly by the Black Knight. Sonic had told him that it was on their side, and at first when Silver had seen it, it was obedient. But a few minutes ago, it was insane. It didn't act like it had planned the assault, and moved as if it was enraged by something.

When all hope seemed lost, Silver thought of that cat that had attacked him. After Silver's defeat at her hands, she cleaned and bandaged the sword wound on his chest, and as silently as she had come, she left. But she had filled Silver with an unexplained warmth

And, in reaction to these thoughts, the Chaos Emerald glistened, and Silver's Psychokinesis power increased dramatically, allowing him to bypass the Black Knights negative field.

But why did these thoughts trigger the Emeralds power? Silver did not feel surprised in the slightest, and that worried him. He had never met this Blaze lady, and yet he wanted her to be close to him.

Sonic. He would know. Sonic has more experience with this supernatural stuff, he'd understand.

Silver ran off through the snow, clutching the Emerald tight. It was now his lucky charm.

-break-

The Black Knight, however, didn't feel lucky in the slightest.

Not that it felt anything to begin with, but still.

The Black Knight watched Silver run off, a purpose obviously on his mind. A purpose… the Black Knight wished it had one.

Eggman was a fool for creating it. Eggman believed he had worked out all the flaws of the Figure. Bah. The Black Knight was his worse one yet. It wouldn't have been stupid the first time, or even the second, but Eggman was too stubborn to realize his mistake.

Figure .1. It was odd how Eggman aimed for the perfect mechanical servant, but used organic data to achieve this. This was meant to be his 'greatest idea yet!', but all he did was take the feelings away, leaving only thought.

Without feeling, the Black Knight had no drive, unless he had a purpose. Now that its purpose was completed, it was useless. And to add insult to injury, it was not it that had completed its task.

With nothing but thought, the Black Knight was able to see both sides of any given situation, meaning it was indifferent unless something made more sense than something else. It made sense that, since destruction was what it was made for, causing it would fill the void it had, but it did not for there was no void to fill. Only thought was left, and that made it powerful, too powerful for Eggman to actually control.

It did not want feelings. It saw them as a weakness, yet also saw them for their benefits as well. It was not worth it to the Black Knight though. Perhaps it needed a new purpose. But where would it find one? Someone needed to give it orders. Who were some good candidates it knew of?

Eggman was out, as he had proven to be a fool countless times. He would misuse it like it had his predecessor.

Its predecessor would have been a good choice. He was intelligent and knew what he wanted. The Black Knight almost wished they hadn't had to fight like they had, but could have had an honest sword battle. But he was gone, it did not matter.

Sonic… no. It was out of the question. Not even the Black Knight was that desperate.

Who else did it know of? There was Tails. He was kind and offered help to anyone who needed it. But he would help the Black Knight too much and try to give it what his predecessor wanted, and it did not want that. Not that it wanted anything, but still.

It needed someone who would treat it like a servant, yet not mistreat it either. Shadow… no. He hated it for attacking them.

Silver… no. Too naïve.

The one who had been tormenting Sonic… that might be a good one. And there was that time spirit that was with him as well. They would treat it like a true warrior, if what it knew about them were true. But it needed more data. It needed to find them.

Follow Silver. Silver will lead it to Sonic, and Sonic will lead it to the tormentor, and the tormentor will be a true leader.

The Black Knight held its huge sword on its shoulder and skated off after Silver, being as silent as possible.

-break-

Mephiles stopped after loosing Sonic in the particular room of the Cracked Compound he now stood in. He looked around, slightly unable to comprehend what he was seeing. It was a throne room, but a rather… there wasn't a specific word for it. Somewhere between perfect and demented.

There was a throne, large enough for Megalo to sit. But it was still shiny, as if it had never been used. Adorned on the walls were animal skins, carefully skinned, but still saturated in blood. Or rather, hardened with blood. The skins were petrified, along with anything else dead. And there were other trophies Megalo had retrieved over the years, too strange to describe.

And there was Metal Sonics. Not the Metal Mephiles knew of, but Metal Sonics standing guard but guarding nothing. At least one hundred of them must have been standing around doing absolutely nothing. Their red eyes stared at nothing. It was a room full of nothing.

Mephiles looked up at the huge throne where Sonic was laying with his arms behind his head, legs crossing, and looking like he had not a care in the world.

"Hey, Mephiles," Sonic called from his perch. "What took you so long? I was getting bored."

"Enough of this," said Mephiles as he pointed to Sonic. "You're coming back to the past, and you're going to end this madness."

Sonic chuckled. "Aw come on," he said as he jumped down. "The party's just getting started. It's just too bad that the only guests are you," Sonic pointed across the room, "and you."

Mephiles turned his head to where Sonic pointed, not exactly surprised by what he saw. Frozen in a mystical crystal was himself. In a position that made him look like a wild animal, the trapped Mephiles appeared to have tried his best to resist capture.

"You see," said Sonic as he started pacing around Mephiles, "a little while after you failed your dear old dad's mission," as Sonic walked past Mephiles' face, Mephiles' eyes remained forward, "you took the first chance you got to make Blaze shed a tear. You killed Silver, totally annihilated Soleanna, and almost destroyed space and time… again."

"So I take it you remember?" asked Mephiles, unmoving.

"Naw, I just used the Time Stone to go back in time a year. Except I screwed up and landed in that time line."

"Yes, I can tell by your shoes."

"Shut up, these things are cool. Anyway, it was your father, if you can call him that, who trapped you in this crystal before you could do any real damage."

Mephiles said nothing.

"So, poor old Mephiles, the mistreated science project, got rejected by the all forgiving. I bet it hurts doesn't it?"

"Forgive me for my ill, out of place humor" Mephiles said as he turned his head to Sonic, "But if I wanted to listen to an ass…" Mephiles started chuckling as if trying to hold in a laugh, "I'd fart."

Sonic took a step back as if struck. "What's the matter?" Mephiles asked as he started walking closer. "Is your ego bleeding?"

Sonic took a few steps back, but smiled. "To be honest, it is. That was pretty good. You come up with it?"

"Enough of the small talk, Sonic. I know what you're trying to do. You might be alive, and I might be a science project gone wrong, but we have so much in common. For example, we both like tricking people."

"I don't trick people."

"Of course, how could I forget? You _deceive_ them. I know exactly what you would have said next: 'Why help Metal? Your father has no care for you. Why do a job he expects you to fail at? Join me, and I will give you a true path to winning your dad's approval.' Nice try, but you're talking to me, the _brains_ of the false Solaris.

"Second, you and I both crave destruction."

Sonic frowned and bent his eyebrows down. "I do not like-"

"Oh, don't give me that. You don't charge head first into battle in order to save anyone. You don't even fight for glory and fame, like most people who are greedy do. No, you fight for nothing but the _thrill_: the worst thing to fight for"

"…"

"All you want to do is destroy thingsbecause you get a kick out of it. You like destroying things… just like me… the only difference is that I can control my craving.

"And because we are so similar, I know what your intensions are, and I also know why you have them. I have seen it Sonic, and soon… the rest of the world will too… and Henry will have his revenge."

Sonic scowled and took a step back. "Alright, Mephiles. Just remember: I gave you a chance." Sonic snapped his fingers, and all the Metal Sonics started rumbling. Sonic then waved a hand, which was covered in blue energy, at Mephiles.

Mephiles shook his head and looked around. The Metal Sonics were hovering around him, all poised to attack. However, they were all blurred in his vision, and Mephiles couldn't tell were Sonic had gone, as he blended in with all the other blue blurs.

"What…?" said Mephiles as he looked around while feeling a little woozy. "How… how did you do this…?"

"You know what they call me," Sonic's voice echoed through the room. "I'm the blue blur."

Mephiles charged up his energy attack. "Chaos Lance!" he shouted, and a bunch of the drones blew apart. "Are you bending light or something else?" he asked as he leapt back to avoid one dive bombing him.

Sonic's voice called, "You know, I never really thought to ask. It never seemed important. Whoop, look out." From behind Mephiles, one Metal Drone had snuck up and was ready to claw him. Mephiles turned around, and his chest was sliced at. Mephiles fell back.

"Even if that is true, Sonic," said Mephiles as he stood back up and shot at another bunch of drones, "it is the fate I deserve. Why should a creature willing to sacrifice the innocent lives of people, nay, even innocent children to reach such horrendous goals be allowed to walk in this world?"

Silence came from Sonic.

Mephiles backed up and shot another bunch. "Do you not see that you are doing the same thing I did? History is repeating itself. If you keep at this, the universe may very well be in danger."

"No it's not. I'll just blast Metal to pieces, and then life will go back to normal."

Mephiles shook his head dejectedly, even though he was starting to pant heavily.

"You know, it doesn't matter how many you get. They'll just keep coming."

Mephiles staggered slightly back, surrounded by Metal Drones, and unable to draw enough power from his body to keep up this physical task, and his Chaos energies were depleting, as they were relatively low from being copied from someone else's power. He had to use his last resort.

The Metal Drones to surround him, ready to pounce. "This is your last chance, hedgehog," said Mephiles as he stood his ground. "Give up and come with me to the past and rectify this mess you've caused."

"Uh, yeah," Sonic's voice called sarcastically. "I should pack it in before you do something that causes internal bleeding."

"Fine then," said Mephiles as his form started to melt. "Just remember: I gave you a chance." Suddenly every Metal Drone attacked and piled on top of Mephiles, creating a huge pile of Metal, and one Metal Drone in particular stared at it from the side, standing there and doing nothing.

From the pile came a shining purple light from the cracks. There was a brief pause of silence before an explosion erupted, and Sonic shielded his eyes as his disguise peeled off. The light dimmed, and what could have been described as a statue made by the architects of Greece was standing there. Finely carved was this statue, and although it a claws, it looked anything but vicious. Its hands were amethyst, and it had crystal cuffs on its wrists that spiked back, and its forearms were amethyst, but slowly blended with black until its chest was pure black, but its chest was decorated with a bird like symbol that was like chest fur. It had hover shoes, but they did not ruin the effect at all. Around its ankles were another pair of spiked crystal cuffs that pointed upwards, giving it the effect of looking like it was growing from the shoes. It had quills on the back of its head that were amethyst as well, and again they blended and deepened to black closer to its head. However, on the top crystal quill, there was a 'V' shape starting at the base, defining the amethyst from the black. Its muzzle was also a finely carved amethyst, but it lacked a nose that would have ruined its spiritual aura. And its eyes were a fine ruby red with emeralds to symbolize the part that stares at your soul. Every detail upon this statue was clear and cut to perfection by what must have been the hands of a craftsman who had spent more time on this work than any other.

Sonic was in slight awe for a moment. Not even he, who cared almost nothing for ancient art, could deny this things bizarre beauty. But he smiled after a moment, and placed a finger under his nose. "I'm not scarred of you. Seriously, you made yourself crystal. Whoopdy doo."

Mephiles' voice echoed from the statue, "Do not try to lie to me. In this form, your soul is as open to me as a public library. I can't get to the restricted areas, but I can see all I need." Before Sonic could make a snappy comeback, Mephiles rushed forward at hyper speed, his claws ablaze and ready to strike, and Sonic could only react quick enough to duck back. Mephiles missed and flew over him, and Sonic countered extremely fast by kicking up. Mephiles suddenly blipped, no flashing, away and stuck from behind with a solid punch to the back of the head. Sonic fell forward a ways, but a couple of Metal Drones grabbed Mephiles and latched to him to hold him in place. Mephiles suddenly appeared from a portal and blipped around himself while clawing the Metal Drones off of himself. The two Mephiles' nodded and stood in battle positions for a moment before flying at Sonic.

Sonic leaped up and shoved his hands in front of him and yelled, "Sonic Wind!" The Mephiles' took the wind full force, but it only slowed them down. Their ruby eyes flashed, and time around them froze. The Mephiles' landed on their feet and took a rest.

"We can't keep this up much longer," said the Mephiles that came from a portal.

"I know," said the one that didn't, "and I still have to go back and do this over again."

"I really wish my powers weren't limited."

"It's what I deserve, though."

"So… black hole it is?"

"Just what I was thinking."

Mephiles created a portal behind himself, and jumped inside while performing a claw attack. The Mephiles left grunted as the burden of stopping time fell on a single time being. He quickly ran behind Sonic and let time go with a grunt. Sonic blinked and stopped his attack. Mephiles suddenly clawed at Sonic, and blipped in front of him and did it again. Sonic cried in pain, and more Metal Drones started coming from nowhere. Mephiles rose into the air and threw a spark of energy straight down. Mephiles glowed, and a rip in time formed beneath him, sucking up all it could. Sonic stood hard to the ground, but the drones were not so fortunate. They all were sucked in, as well as everything else somewhat loose in the room, including the frozen version of himself. Mephiles held it for as long as he could, hoping to take Sonic back to the past this way, but his reserve energy ran out, and the hole closed. Mephiles fell ungracefully, truly unfitting of his grand form, and landed with a 'plop', for he turned back into goo while falling. He reformed, but was on one knee and panting heavily.

Sonic came closer, getting ready to blow his foe away. Before he had the chance, a huge rumble shook the ground, and a crack to match all the others formed. Sonic and Mephiles turned their heads, Sonic seeing a familiar face, and Mephiles seeing a face he barely recognized. It was a strange irony that it was the one who barely knew this face that was happy to see him.

"You're late…" wheezed Mephiles, though he still sounded pleased to see him.

Knuckles pulled his fist from the ground with a grunt. "Sorry" he said as he pushed his dreadlocks back, "I got held up. It seems someone found the block of ice I was encased in, and a bunch of science guys thought I was… the missing link…"

Sonic snickered loudly, and Mephiles tried hard not to chuckle.

"Shut up!"

Knuckles ran at Sonic, intending to hit him at full force, but Sonic side stepped quickly, and prepared to spin dash. Just as he was about to let loose, Knuckles appeared from a portal and socked Sonic. Hard. In the face.

The Knuckles that had not hit Sonic skidded around, and Mephiles created a portal for him to run through. Sonic leaped up and ran at Knuckles, skidding at the last possible second and tripping him. Knuckles fell forward, and Sonic jumped back up. He gripped at the side of his head. He now had a black eye, and his muzzle was turning purple. His head throbbed.

Mephiles skated at Sonic, intending to grab him while he was distracted by the pain. Sonic noticed, however, and jumped up, and performed his laws of physics breaking move, the homing attack. Mephiles was hit and launched into the throne. Sonic landed, but not two seconds after, Knuckles shot up from the ground and hit Sonic with his earth shattering force. Sonic was knocked into the air, but still had stamina to spare. He homing attacked again, and Knuckles was hit backwards as he bounced across the ground. Sonic whistled, and from nowhere came more Metal Drones, each ready to pounce. Sonic waved his hand to hide himself, but his searing headache prevented him from concentrating hard enough to exert the energy. Knuckles recovered quickly, and with mad speed started hitting the ground. The metal beneath him melted into hot magma, and with each punch after balls of fire rained down on the drones. Sonic staggered back to avoid the balls of fire, but was hit by a bolt of Chaos energy that exploded on impact. Sonic turned around to see that Mephiles had shot him with Chaos Lance. Sonic jumped and homing attacked, and at the last second, Mephiles opened and portal, and sent Sonic back to the time from whence he came. The portal closed, and Mephiles fell down to the ground.

Knuckles ran to the fallen time spirit. "Hey, are you all right?" he asked while pulling Mephiles up.

Mephiles staggered and leaned on Knuckles shoulder. "I'm tired. My powers were severely diminished. I can't send us back for a while."

"Alright then," Knuckles said as he pulled Mephiles along. "These paradoxes will be hard to fix, won't they?"

"Let me think. One paradox from you freezing yourself with Chaos' power, and one for stopping Megalo, if we actually stop him. The Big Guy isn't going to like this."

-Author's note-

Can you believe I have LESS time during Christmas vacation? Because I do.


	26. What Life is Worth

**Chapter 26: What Life is Worth**

... What? You want something important up here? Go read the chapter

**What Life is Worth**

Tails stared at the odd image his eyes were lucky enough to see, his mouth opened while heading for the thing in his hand. Forever his mind would be plagued by the sight, and always now he would question his perspective of the world.

The image he saw was Shadow… eating a doughnut. And drinking coffee. With extra crème and sugar. Apparently the normal taste was too strong for him.

Vector sat in a chair nearby, also enjoying their replacement of a nutritious breakfast. He was reading a newspaper, with the headline, "EGGMAN DISAPPEARS, PRINCESS ELISE AS WELL". After the incident involving the time machine and an explosion Elise had disappeared, though they had seen Eggman escape on his signature vehicle.

They were now just doing nothing. Without Metal it seemed like the adventure had come to a halt. He was the reason they were on this 'quest' in the first place. Now that he was gone, it was like the main character in a story had disappeared and had taken the plot with him.

Shadow stopped mid bite and sighed. "Please stop staring"

Tails blinked and shook his head. "Uh, sorry. It's just that… er…"

"I know I don't interact with people, but it's not that bad… is it?"

Vector coughed.

Shadow groaned. "I'm just eating. I may be the Ultimate Life Form, but life needs energy. I need to eat some time."

Vector folded the paper and set it down on the table they were sharing. "You seem more like a buttered toast gut to me," Vector said sarcastically.

Shadow nodded. "Usually, but the occasional doughnut keeps my blood sugar at normal."

Tails giggled and Vector rolled his eyes.

"Hold on… you were mocking me!" Shadow suddenly growled.

"You, my friend, need to get out more" Vector said as he closed his eyes and shook his head.

Shadow was about to stand up and yell his head off. He was very close to losing it. But he stopped himself just as he was about to do the stand up part. Shadow looked down, his eyes lost for a moment. "You're right."

There was an awkward silence where none of them moved.

"So," said Tails sadly while he placed his head in his hand and rested an elbow on the table, "what were you guys going to wish for?"

The other two were silent for a moment. "Money," said Vector quietly. He slumped his head forward and banged in on the table. "I wanted money. I wanted Fort Knots. But now I just want my bills paid. I couldn't care less if I never saw a piece of gold again."

Tails scratched his head. It wasn't exactly the answer he was expecting.

Shadow looked up at the sky. "Deep down I know what I want…" Shadow closed his eyes. "But I can't have it." Shadow opened his eyes and looked at Tails. "What about you."

"Shadow," Tails said, "is that thing you want… a person?"

Shadow nodded. "I see where you're going with this." Shadow sighed through his nose and slowly blinked. "I can't bring Maria back. It wouldn't be right. She's happy, I know this. And I can't cling to her anymore. I can remember her, and I can remember what she showed me, but I can't let her rule me. I almost ended the world for her. Do you think that it was right of me?"

Tails sniffled.

"I know you miss her, Tails. Nothing I can say will ever justify what happened. But would she be happy to know what you're doing to yourself? And if you brought her back, what would she think of you for wasting so much of your life over her?"

Tails looked up at shadow, tears forming.

Shadow stared hard at those eyes, not faltering from his stand on the issue. "I believe in things happening for some reason or another. I know that I was created for a specific destiny, and, while I don't like the idea of things being decided for me, I know you have a destiny. She had hers. And it didn't include you."

Tails got up and suddenly ran, tears streaming down his face. Vector got up, but Shadow pulled him back down. "Let him go for now," Shadow said as he picked his doughnut back up. "He'll need time. It took me a while to get it and… it was painful. Tails needs to vent."

Vector sighed and sat back down. "This is quite the case I have right here. What are we going to do now, anyway? Without Metal, it just feels pointless. He was the one who started this group. It doesn't feel right to go on with out him."

"We have to," said Shadow as he threw the paper on the table. "And not for Emeralds. We need to save Elise."

"Elise?" Vector scratched his head.

"I know it's a long shot, but she might be the only one who can help us find Metal."

Vector leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. "Really? How?"

Shadow pulled out a stone, its image somehow fuzzy, as if it were a long forgotten memory. "When I was saving Elise at the festival and she was kidnapped, she gave me this stone, and the doctor was aggravated that he didn't get it. Since it was a time machine he had been working on, I'm guessing that this stone is connected to what Eggman's been up to. If anyone can help us, it's her."

Vector rubbed his eyes. "Why can't I stare right at it?"

Shadow shook his head. "I have no idea. It doesn't even really feel like I'm holding it." Shadow put it away and stared down the street. "What's taking Rouge so long? Those weapons would really help us."

There was a moment of silence. Vector whistled for a moment and Shadow took the last bite of his replacement breakfast. "So," started Shadow while still looking down the street, "when did you figure them out?"

Vector looked up at Shadow with raised brow. "Figure out what?"

"Your powers." Shadow created a yellow spark in his hands.

"Ah, that," said Vector as his fist glowed green for a second. "It was strange really. It didn't go 'til I had something to fight for."

"Being friends with Knuckles, you know what it is, don't you?"

"Sorta. All I know is the color scheme. Yellow is intelligence, right?"

"Not exactly. Yellow is more so the color of kindness."

"Then why-"

"If you'd paid attention to my story, you'd know."

"Right." Vector closed his eyes again and leaned back. "Do you think any of them know?"

"I doubt Tails does. He doesn't look behind himself when he flies. Most of them just seem limited, so I doubt they even see it. Sonic, though… I'm not too sure."

"Hee, hee… it's too bad Espio and Charmy don't understand. They could be a lot more useful."

Shadow looked around. "Stay here and wait for Rouge. I'm going to find Tails." Shadow got up and started to skate away.

A few metallic clanks came in a slow pattern. Vector opened one eye and saw a large robot carrying two large metal cases walking towards him. When it reached the table Vector was at, it stopped and did nothing for a moment.

"Can I help you?" asked Vector?

"Rouge sends her apologies," said Omega in his usual toneless tone. "She was not able to meet us here, as she had other obligations."

Vector put on his thinking face for a moment. Then he smiled and snapped his fingers. "I remember you now. Omega, right? Shadow's buddy."

Omega placed one case on the table, the other on the ground. "Where is Shadow?" Omega asked as he turned his head in a 360 degree angle.

"Went to look for Tails. They should be back soon."

Tails had ran, not knowing where to go. Now he had stopped, sitting with his feet hanging over the concrete sidewalk and over the water.

What was he thinking? Why had those thoughts never crossed his mind? Was he really so delusional to think that this great desire would work?

No. It would have worked. But it would not have been right. Tails sighed. Metal had made a promise Tails could no longer want kept.

Tails stared at the water, not really thinking about anything. He had lost two really good friends, Sonic, the first person to care for him, and Metal, the first person to understand him. Without them, Tails felt lost. He was lost, and had always been lost, from the day he was aware of his existence.

Shadow felt sorry for Tails. He was the first person Shadow had really felt sorry for. If Shadow was to be perfectly honest, he would say that Tails was the stronger of the two of them. Really, Tails was an eight year old, forced to save a world that cared nothing for him. He had never had a true family, save for Sonic. He had an intellect that was far too mature for his own good. And then there was… her.

And Shadow? He was disgusted with himself. He had tried to destroy the world on the whim of his dear friend, despite knowing what he was doing was wrong. Sure, afterwards he saved the day over and over again, but it was not of his own free choice. He did it for Maria. No one else. He had made himself a puppet to be controlled by anyone who knew how to use him. No one could exploit Tails. You couldn't mess with Tails using mental warfare. Shadow respected him for this.

No. Shadow was amazed by this.

"Tails," said Shadow as he stood behind him. "Will you be alright?" he somewhat forced out.

Tails said nothing and simply let his feet dangle.

"I know you miss her but-" Shadow stopped suddenly and grabbed Tails, pulling him behind a corner. Shadow covered Tails mouth to stop his squeal of surprise.

"I'm sure. The spatial rift is still not repaired." Tails recognized Blaze instantly.

"I don't understand," came the voice of the stranger, though his confidence had disappeared entirely. "When the Metal of then went away, everything should have gone back to normal." Shadow released Tails, and they both listened intently.

"Mephiles believes Silver is the cause now. But shouldn't we worry about Elise? Eggman took her again. Who knows what he's doing now."

"Have you already forgotten what happened last time?"

"I wasn't there for that part."

"Of course. Foolish of me to forget." Shadow and Tails took a step back as the stranger and Blaze walked by. There was a third member with them, but they had not expected it. The Black Knight walked with them. All it did was walk. It did nothing menacing.

Tails gasped slightly, and Blaze stopped in her tracks. The stranger and The Black Knight took no notice and continued walking. Blaze turned around, and saw Tails and Shadow. Shadow was about to leap into action, but Blaze signaled them to be silent. She turned around, and waved for them to follow.

Shadow stopped to think for a moment, but Tails quickly yet silently ran to the next alleyway, with Shadow coming half a second later.

"When do you plan to reveal yourself?" Blaze asked while sneaking a glance behind her to make sure Shadow and Tails were following them.

"I'm waiting for the opportune moment. I need just the right circumstances."

"And Sonic?"

"He does not believe that I am gone. He will send Silver after me soon enough so as to defeat me and destroy Metal." Shadow and Tails looked at each other for a moment.

Blaze sighed lightly. "Do you think… he will remember me?"

"A person can not remember what never happened. I'm sorry Blaze, but we can not risk the timeline screwing up any worse. He is an intricate part of this." Mechanical footsteps were heard as Omega walked towards them. The stranger, Blaze, and The Black Knight stopped.

"Integral" said Omega as he walked up to them. "Intricate is not a true word."

"Really?" said the stranger as he looked down for a moment. "Well, what do you know, he's right. Apparently it's only used by idiots who want to sound smart. Guess that makes me an idiot."

"Be serious," said Blaze in a huff. "We need a plan."

"Very well then. Status, Omega?"

"Shadow was not at the meeting destination. I had to leave the supplies with Vector, and was unable to attain primary target. Rouge and Henry are currently infiltrating the secret laboratory. They are making progress. Suggested action: have SC unit 6 prove its loyalty."

"How so?"

"As you proceed to assist the princess, order SC unit 6 to retrieve the Time Stone. I shall observe and make sure he does not double cross us, as well as assist."

"A fine idea," the stranger said, a little of his confident voice returning. He turned to The Black Knight. "New objective, Knight. Seek Shadow the Hedgehog. Retrieve Time Stone. No casualties. In case of immanent defeat, retreat and do not harm anyone in the process. You shall accept destruction before you harm others. Fighting Shadow is acceptable as long as he is not damaged to the point of death. If the Time Stone is retrieved, deliver to Mephiles. Orders understood?"

The Black Knight nodded and bleeped.

"Although, you know you don't stand much of a chance in battle with him. You'll have to get creative."

The Black Knight nodded again, this time without the bleeps. It was intrigued by the prospect of a challenge.

"Very well. Let us away, Blaze. Eggman is taking a train ride as we speak, and the passenger is very important."

Blaze furrowed her brow. "Do you have to talk like that?"

The stranger spoke in an embarrassed tone, "Aw, come on. It makes me sound more mysterious."

"Can we just say Eggman has Elise and get on with it?" Blaze said, annoyed.

"… You really know how to suck the fun away," the stranger said as he crossed his arms. The stranger rose off the ground and, like a ghost, floated quickly away with Blaze running after him. The Black Knight skated off, and Omega fired up his mini-boosters so as to keep up with it.

-break-

Shadow and Tails walked out of the alleyway, both of them confused to a degree.

Shadow opened one large case with determination streaked across his features.

"Are you really sure?" Vector asked as he stood next to Tails, waiting for their new 'weapons'.

"Positive" said Tails. "The cloaked guy knows where Metal is, and Sonic wants them both gone."

"Why aren't we getting help from Rouge or Omega?"

Shadow pulled out a tiny hand held controller type thing and put it away on his person. "We can't trust them to tell us what exactly is going on. They want a Time Stone, and I apparently have it." Shadow pulled out a small, blue toy looking gun with a robotic Chao head sticking out of the barrel. Shadow shuddered and tossed it to Tails. Tails fumbled a bit as he caught it "Somehow, Eggman's latest hedgehog copy has been enlisted in his little group, and Omega is with him. They are currently looking for me. We don't have much time." Shadow pulled out a white sack like thing that was spotted with blue and had a chicken head for the opening. He slung it over his shoulder, pointed it a few directions, and tossed it to Tails. Tails dropped the Chao head gun and caught the chicken thing.

"What is this stuff?" asked Tails as he slung the chicken thing over his shoulder and picked up the toy like gun.

Shadow tossed the first case aside and opened the other one. He pulled out a large silver cannon with a water drop painted on the side and threw it to Vector. "These are special weapons I've collected over time. Each one has a strange story to it." Shadow pulled out a Samurai sword, gave it a swing, and held it as he pulled out the final weapon. It was a rifle with a shape a color scheme to compliment Shadow's style perfectly. On each side of it was a bizarre, indescribable insignia to represent Shadow. Shadow put the sword down and pulled out a few clips of bullets. "Excellent. Still have that hundred I've been saving."

"What are we doing?" asked Vector, slightly freaked out by the prospect of using such violent offense. "This doesn't seem very safe. I mean, can't we fight like we normally can?"

Shadow shook his head. "We're involved in something we don't understand. We have to be prepared. Besides, the weapons you have are safer than mine. Vector, you have a Heal Cannon, used for healing allies in battle. Since it is small relative to your size, you will still be able fight hand to hand. Tails, you have the Omochao blaster, a laser style blunt weapon that bounces of while leaving hard bruises, and the Egg Vacuum, a suction style offensive, useful for taking out large groups of robot enemies. They did worse before I modified them." Shadow sighed through his nose. "This could be dangerous. Are you sure you want to stay with me?"

Both Tails and Vector nodded, looking ready to get going.

"Excellent." Said Shadow as he turned around and started walking. "He's going to regret hiding anything from us."

-Author's Note-

Geez, man, I am such a cornball. Give it time, I got better.


	27. Shadow vs ?

**Shadow vs. ?: Where Metal Went**

The stranger moved like a ghost across train rails, nothing touching the ground. His piercing, glowing red eyes stayed forward, focused on nothing but retreating. Elise was carried in his arms, having been rescued by this person from an exploding train. The stranger was afraid, though. Eggman would have never killed the princess, as he needed her for his master plan. Eggman had known someone would save her and had planned for it. The stranger had fallen for it. All he could do is hope that he had not fallen too far in to escape.

"Thank you for saving me," Elise said appreciatively. "I knew you would come back"

The stranger spoke, surprised. "You know who I am?"

Elise nodded. "I've been waiting for you return for a while now."

"Forgive me that it has taken so long- watch it!" The cloaked one steered his floating form out of the way of an energy blast. The stranger stopped and set Elise down while turning his head to face his foe. Silver pointed a finger at the stranger.

"Tell me where he is!" Silver shouted.

"I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about" said the stranger as he pulled out his sword, pulling the blue jewel from the hilt. Elise moved back, seeing a confrontation about to take place.

Silver growled slightly, and then fired a psychokinetic blast. The stranger put up a wall of Chaos energy, deflecting the blast away. The stranger moved to place a red stone into his swords hilt, thinking he was safe behind his wall. Silver suddenly jammed his hand into the ground, sending an electric pulse through the ground. The cloaked one suddenly jolted and jerked around, dropping his sword and the stone. The wall fell, and he was grabbed by the sheer will of Silver, held in place as he sparked.

Elise gasped and took a few steps back. Silver pressed the cloaked one in his grip, crushing him slightly. "Tell me where Megalo is! I must destroy him to save the future. If you don't tell me, you'll be just before him."

There was a yell, and Silver turned his head, while the stranger struggled to look in the right direction. "I have you now, princess!" Eggman cried as he grabbed his hostage in his hover vehicles hands.

"Blaze!" the stranger cried as he moved his arm as much as he could to reach for her. Silver zapped him with another psycho burst.

"Last chance. Tell me where-" Silver suddenly heard something from the tracks above, and leaped back as a black hedgehog fell from above. The cloaked one fell to his shrouded knees, shaking slightly, but quickly reaching for his dropped possessions.

Silver furrowed his brow. "Get out of my way, Shadow!" cried Silver as he waved his arm to show he was serious. "You can't stop me this time."

The black hedgehog's green eyes met Silver's golden ones. The hedgehog crossed his arms. "I am Mephiles. Mephiles the Dark."

Everything was silent for a moment as the name rang through the air. Silver unconsciously took a step back. He was suddenly filled with feelings of hate and fear.

Mephiles turned his head to the stranger. "You'd better hurry. Eggman's bound to do something stupid." The stranger nodded his hood, and went to grab Elise.

"No," she said as she stepped back. "I am needed here, I know." The cloaked one nodded one last time, and flew away.

Mephiles and Silver stared each other down, a conversation taking place with only their eyes.

-break-

"You know very well it won't happen" said Eggman staring off to the side, smiling deviously.

Blaze said nothing as she was held in the grip of the Egg Mobile.

"I never would have guessed why you were so secluded and took everything so seriously. It must be painful, not being able to cry." Eggman smiled evilly to himself.

Again Blaze said nothing, but looked off to the side, looking saddened.

Eggman pulled a pocket watch from his… pocket and opened it, his grin never faltering. "And right about now…"

"Eggman!" yelled the stranger, a golden arrow pointed at the craft. "Release Blaze immediately."

Eggman turned to look down at the cloaked one, and clapped for him. "My, my, right on schedule. So, I finally have the pleasure of meeting the person who can scare Sonic more than me. An honor, really."

"Give me Blaze, or suffer the consequences."

"Not so fast. If you want her, you'll have to defeat _this_." As Eggman says this, a huge flying saucer like contraption comes over a hill. The stranger looked up to see what could be described as a giant E-series mother ship, complete.

"Think you can handle it?" Eggman said, and he laughed fiendishly.

Several of the new white Eggman robots appeared, surrounding the cloaked one. The large space ship like robot had all of its sights set on the stranger.

The stranger rolled his glowing eyes. "If I must." The stranger put his energy bow and arrow away and put a green jewel in the hilt of his blade. In an instant, without any flashy effects at all, his blade became a huge, lumbering three handed sword, striped upward with green and light green. He raised his blade, making it appear he were going to actually attack with such a big weapon. Instead of slashing at the robots, he spun around in a circle and continued doing so. The robots and the flying vehicle started firing, but somehow their bullets and missiles spun around with him. Eggman leaned forward a bit, very confused. Then he felt the wind. It was pulling him toward the stranger.

The robots, one by one, were sucked into the tornado the cloaked one had created, and were immediately torn to pieces. Eggman was speechless as even his Egg Geneses was pulled closer. Eggman backed his Egg Mobile up, staying as far away from the imminent explosion as possible.

The Egg Geneses had all of its boosters on at max, but it only slowed down its decent. In a few seconds, an explosion sounded through the canyon, and chunks of charred orange-ish metal.

"Are you done?"

Eggman yelled in surprise and turned. The stranger had flown in front of the Egg Mobile, his sword back to the way it was before.

Eggman looked worried for a moment, but his frown turned up at the corners a moment later. "As a matter of fact I am. Tell you what: I'll give you Blaze here, if you tell me where Metal is."

The stranger poked Eggman's gut with his sword. "You're in no position to make demands."

"But you do know where Metal is, don't you?"

"As a matter of fact, I do." The cloaked one paused. "But why do you care?"

Eggman chuckled. "I don't." The stranger was suddenly hit from behind by a blast of concentrated energy. He went numb for a moment, falling to the ground, and slamming hard. The stranger lifted his head to see the last people he had hoped to see here.

"But they do!" Eggman cried as his Egg mobile started off to who knew where, while Blaze struggled to break free.

"After them!" Shadow cried as he, Tails, and Vector ran towards the scene. Shadow came to a halt a few feet away from the cloaked one. "I'll make him talk. You save what's her name."

"Blaze!" yelled Tails as he started firing Omochao heads at the doctor. He and Vector soon ran out of sight.

The stranger looked up at Shadow, who seemed armed to the teeth, with a samurai sword, a rifle, and a cold stare in his eyes. Shadow held his blade in one hand, an amazing thing considering how large it was.

The stranger stood up, his feelings hidden in his cloak. "This had better be important" he said impatiently. "I just lost someone who could very well mean the difference between the salvation and the end of the universe."

"There's no need to worry about your queen. I trust that my friends shall take care of the matter."

"Friends? My, you seem to have taken my advice. Or perhaps you always had a heart and I just pushed it out of you."

"And I'll admit, it wasn't something I could do on my own. For this, I owe you. However," Shadow brandished his rifle, "I require some less cryptic answers for a specific question."

Shadow could have sworn the cloaked one smiled. "And that question is?"

"Where's Metal?" For a minute, silence was all that could be heard. The tension built as Shadow gripped the handles of his two weapons, waiting for a response, his nerves ready to jump if he was suddenly attacked.

The stranger's eyes wondered. There was no reason to keep it a secret any longer. But why not have some fun at the same time?

"I'll tell you where he is. But you must show me how much you wish to find him."

"I said no riddles."

"I meant what I said. Show me how much you want him."

Again, there was a thick silence. "Fine" Shadow said as he raised his gun and pointed it between the cloaked ones eyes. "This is how much I want Metal." Shadow shot a bullet, glowing as bright as one of his Chaos Spears. The stranger pulled out his sword, which was now curved as much as a crescent moon, and had a yellow stone in its hilt, and a yellow barrier the sparked like lightning formed around him. As quickly as it appeared, it shattered, for the bullet struck. Yet the cloaked one was not deterred for this, and actually seemed to have planned. Instead of floating across the ground, the stranger ran, for Shadow could hear feet hit the ground as he moved, towards Shadow, his sword ready to strike. Shadow blocked with his own blade, then ignited his skates to gain momentum. But the stranger kicked at Shadow's legs just as he lifted off the ground half an inch, in that half a second. Shadow fell over, and the stranger snatched the rifle from Shadow's hand. Shadow leaped back up ready to strike back, but the stranger had already taken a few steps back, the rifle pointed at Shadow now.

"You're losing your touch."

"Have I? How would you know."

"You may or may not know it, but you and I had a battle. You weren't fighting me with all that you had. But, perhaps, it was because you barely had any to give."

"You may be someone from my past that I don't remember. You may be lying to me. Either way, I have made amends for my past, and you can not confuse me with anything like that."

"Still, you aren't showing me how much you want to find Metal. Or you are a lot weaker than you let on."

Shadow chuckled. "I never talk big unless I can back it up." Shadow raised his blade as if to slice something in half from the middle, though the stranger was certainly far enough away to not worry about that. Then Shadow swung his blade and, catching the cloaked one completely off guard, a wave of purple energy was released from the tip as if carved from the air. The stranger put up his lightning shield at the last second, but Shadow had unleashed another wave after the first, and the stranger was struck to the ground, dropping the rifle. Shadow quickly skated over and grabbed the gun, then stabbed his sword at the stranger. The stranger blocked with his blade, which had now become something very similar with a javelin with a semi long sword sticking out of one end, with a white gem in the center of the staff.

The stranger parried Shadow's blade away while leaping up and striking the side of Shadow's head. Shadow froze with a crooked look on his face for a second, then quickly turned back, slicing with his sword. The stranger blocked and attempted to attack himself, but Shadow defended as well with his sword. Shadow, while in this stalemate, took a chance with his rifle and shot. The cloaked was caught square in the gut with the shot, and the stranger took a step back, sparking as if hit by lightning. Shadow paused and raised a brow, expecting him to fall over. Much to Shadow's surprise, he did not and rather lifted high into the air.

"Not bad," the cloaked one said as he held his javelin like weapon close to himself. "Let's see what you do with an attack you can't dodge." The stranger started spinning rapidly with a white aura surrounding him, and Shadow stood on guard, expecting an energy bolt. By this time, he really should have expected the unexpected with this guy. The stranger suddenly bolted at Shadow with the blade of his staff pointed at him. Shadow rolled out of the way, and he would have made it too. But somehow all too similar to the patented homing attack, the stranger veered a sharp right, and sliced Shadow's side. Shadow fell over, sucking air through his teeth for they were clenched in pain. Shadow lifted his rifle and started shooting like mad at the stranger. The stranger swerved through the sky, and taking his Chaos Energy he formed a bow and arrow after placing his sword in his robe. He started shooting arrows at a much slower pace than Shadow fired his chaos enhanced bullets, but they zoomed through the air just as fast. Shadow started running to dodge the onslaught of arrows, still shooting. For a while, yellow blasts of energy and small explosions was the only fighting that took place, both sides trying to hit the other, both sides trying to avoid the other, and neither side winning.

Soon, Shadow's gun made a few clicks, and nothing came out. The stranger tried to fire another arrow, but his bow fizzled out. Pulling his sword, which was still a javelin, he prepared to perform the homing attack style attack he used before, spinning in place and building up a white aura. Shadow stood still, a look of fear mixed with thought on his face. The stranger shot forward again, but Shadow smirked after he started and held up his gun, firing the last ten shots he had saved. Every one of them hit its mark.

The stranger flopped and rolled across the ground, covered in electricity. Shadow smiled and tossed his gun away. "Was that the Shadow you were looking for?"

The stranger struggled himself up. But he was laughing. Yet Shadow was not unsettled by this laugh, and was in fact inclined to have his grin broaden ever so slightly. This laugh which escaped from under the hood of the cloak of this being was genuine, neither forced nor evil. "I must admit, you got me real good with that one. I haven't had a genuine fight in ages. At last, someone willing to put up a fight for more than just what they believe in, more than themselves, more than someone else. Someone who fights for more reason than one, just as I fight."

"So tell me," Shadow said as he brandished his blade. "Have I shown you how much I want to find Metal?"

"Almost. I still have one more request before we end this. Show me Chaos Control in all of its integrity. I wish to test out my most powerful blade." The stranger picked up his javelin from the ground and pulled out the white stone, replacing it with a red one. Again his blade changed. Now it became just like Shadow's, curved and thin, and double edged.

Shadow pulled out the green Chaos Emerald that he had carried with him almost always, and his smile turned to a cold stare. He flipped the emerald into the air and caught it shouting, "Chaos Control!" The strangers blade glowed red, and everything around the two slowed down to a snails pace. Shadow glowed a bright yellow, while the cloaked one glowed a gentle red. Both raised there blades, and they clashed.

In a flurry of shining silver and raining lights, with the sounds of metal sliding off of itself, the cloaked one and Shadow danced with their blades. They floated off the ground, with every sword strike causing ripples through the slowed down air. The stranger attempted to slice Shadow's back. Shadow reversed his sword in his hand and deflected the blade. Shadow pushed it off, and swung for the stranger's gut. The stranger took the hit, a gash in his cloak made, but worth it, for he had the opportunity to create a gash in Shadow's side. Shadow yelled as the cut was made, but he went to strike again. The stranger blocked another blow, and the two of them kept this up in their hyper speed for what to them felt like ten minutes, when it had only really been ten seconds. At last, the stranger could hold it no longer, and he slipped out of his improvised Chaos Control. His glow faded, and he fell to one knee.

Shadow breathed heavily as his glow faded as well. He gripped at the wound made to his torso. Shadow placed his blade in the place he keeps his belongings, and from this place pulled out a tiny hand held thing, though he kept it behind his back.

"Well done, Shadow," the stranger said, humbled and solemn. "It seems that my treasure is no match for a true Chaos Wielder's power."

Shadow had a solemn look on as well. The wind blew as Shadow stared at the weakened being before him. "Why did you not simply stun me as you did before?"

"I could only do that so long as you could be manipulated. As I said 'limited only by imagination'. In my mind, you can no longer be controlled."

"Where is he?" Shadow said as he secretly pressed a button on the hand held thing.

"Very well… I will show you him."

Shadow's eyes dilated. "What?"

The stranger seemed confused. "I will take you to him. You have bested me."

"Uh…"

"What?"

"I was… expecting you to not actually tell me where he is and I… sort of fired something."

"Fired what?"

Shadow took about ten steps back as a strange humming filled the air. White lines started forming around the cloaked one, and his eyes seemed to shrink. He looked up, and saw a large beam of light coming from the sky.

"Holy shnikies…"

At the last second, a yellow shield formed around the stranger, yet it only held back a third of the blast. Shadow shielded his eyes as the small explosion was let loose. Shadow squinted his eyes through the smoke, trying to see what had happened. When the smoke cleared, Shadow felt his heart stop and his lungs clog. For now, the cloaked ones fine and well kept cloak was tatters, and his face was revealed. Though, it wasn't a true face.

Metal gave a thumbs up as he staggered, his mismatched hands limping slightly. He was dented, and he was burned, but he was there.

"Nice shot," he said in a no longer disguised voice. As he said this, he fell, and fell unconscious.

-Author's Note-

Quick! Allof you who haven't read this before! Gasp in surprise!

-Gasp!-


	28. Temporal part 1

**Temporal: Time, Religion, Brief, and Tense part 1**

"Do you now see?" asked Mephiles, though it was more so put out there just to explain the situation. "Sonic has fallen into a temporal trap, and you have as well."

"I see it now," Silver said silently. "But at what price… I can never return to my timeline in peace." He looked at the ashen ground beneath him. "How can you show me these things and expect me to act for the greater good?"

"He does not," Elise said. "He will give you freedom, if you will help us further."

Mephiles nodded, and held up a shining purple stone. "Assist me in stopping the time rift to completely take place, and I can provide a permanent freedom for both you and the one you care for."

Silver looked up at the shining sun lit sky, then at himself walking away with all of his hopes and dreams fulfilled and crushed at the same time.

"I will help you. Give me instructions, and I will follow."

Mephiles again nodded. "I still have much to show you, but it must wait for a few more minutes to you and me. Elise," he turned to the princess, "you must return to your present, for this is a matter that stopped concerning you when it never concerned you."

Elise nodded. "I understand. But tell me please: will my knight return to me? Will I ever see him again?"

Mephiles' green eyes wondered to a portal that had formed, his features hiding how he may have felt. "You will see him. But he will not see you."

"What do you mean?"

"My father does not permit me to give me any more information than is already needed."

Elise closed her eyes. "Very well. It is as I feared then."

"I am sorry. He does not deserve it."

Without another word, Elise stepped through the portal, leaving Mephiles and Silver to themselves.

"What of me, then?" said Sliver as he clenched his fist. "I will purge this poison from the timeline, and end your quest."

"My quest must be completed by me and my brother. You must save who you believe needs to be saved."

"What about Sonic?"

"What about him?"

"What should I do about him?"

"Leave him as he is. He will do no harm to your goal."

"But what about Metal? Doesn't he want Metal gone? And what about my future?"

"Sonic's goal has nothing to do with your goal. You may assist Metal after you have saved the day. And I can give you a personal guarantee that the future will be saved, and I will be the one who makes sure it gets done."

Silver turned to the portal, but his eyes were still on himself, who had broken down crying long ago. "I hope I can trust you this time…"

"But there was no last time; therefore, you have no reason to doubt me, except that we are strangers."

Silver chuckled. "Stop with the philosophical stuff. You don't wear that as well as you do wit." Without any more words, Silver stepped through the portal, slipping to the time he was meant to be. Mephiles looked at the crying Silver, a pang of guilt hitting him hard. He would not allow any more pain to come from others pain. For as pain spreads, it also grows.

Mephiles stepped through the portal.

-break-

Henry scratched his head, with a look of worry, confusion, and contemplation all mixed together on his face. He was a little stumped as what to do in this situation. Well, he was actually really stumped.

First off, the fine and expensive cloak he had paid very good money for was ruined, and Metal was now revealed. Speaking of Metal, he was also out of commission, lying on the ground a few feet away, which made problem two exist.

The Black Knight had accomplished the first half of its last order and had to take the Time Stone he had collected to Mephiles. This wouldn't have been a problem, if the means by which it had collected the Stone had not also brought Shadow along for the ride.

Shadow had been weak from a fight, apparently, and it was easy to bind his hands with a well executed ninja-style hand twisting. No confrontation had happened, and no one had been hurt, so its main objectives had been almost completed. However, the Knight could not actually retrieve the Stone from Shadow, as it seemed Shadow had the strange ability to hide things in a little space pocket (go figure…). So, the Knight still held Shadow who was kicking and screaming some profanities, and would not let go until the Stone had been given to Mephiles, or until Metal gave it a new directive, but the former wasn't happening anytime soon.

Omega stood nearby, an innocent bystander in this confusion. He had watched, but like a dutiful robot that knew the difference between right and wrong to the extent of a friend in trouble, he did nothing, except ask Shadow to calm down. Somehow, Omega had figured out how to tap the ends of his index claws together, and did this now to represent how he was as lost as Henry.

Henry had been on a path for Kingdom Valley when he were interrupted by this rarity.

"Er, please, sir, we can explain everything that's going on, just please calm down," said Henry in an explanatory tone as he held up the hand that did not hold his cane.

Shadow struggled in the iron grip of the Black Knight. "Then tell the tin can to let me go!" he yelled.

Henry coughed roughly. "I would," he said after his fit, "but he only takes orders from Metal, and he needs to be repaired."

Omega turned his head to Shadow. "Black Knight must have primary directive completed before it will release. Suggestion: give us the Time Stone."

"I'm not giving you anything! Not until I get an explanation as to what happened to Metal, who you are," this was directed at Henry, who cowered back a bit, "why you want the thing I have, and who this 'Mephiles' guy is!"

"If you could just-" before Henry could finish, a flash of light appeared behind him. He turned around, and from a portal that had appeared, Mephiles stepped out.

Henry sighed. This was going to be difficult.

Shadow stopped fighting for a moment to look at the newcomer. At least, he was fairly certain this was a newcomer. If he didn't know better, he would have said he was looking in a mirror. An altered mirror.

Mephiles stopped when he saw Shadow. His green eyes traveled around the group, from Shadow, to Metal, to Henry, to Omega, to the Black Knight, then back to Shadow. It wasn't too difficult to piece together what had happened.

"Where's Rouge?" asked Mephiles to Henry, seeming to ignore Shadow.

Shadow wanted to call out a 'Hey!" to get back their attention, but his voice was lost. Shadow felt this… rage. But it was empty. He did not understand this anger. It came from seemingly nowhere, and there were no memories to back this rage. At the same time, Shadow felt a strange pity. But why? Why did Shadow feel these ways despite never seeing this person before?

"Well, I- this hedgehog came by with the birds and Rouge offered to help him."

"And you made it here all by yourself?" asked Mephiles, somewhat amazed.

"I told ya, ya don't need to worry about me. Shouldn't we make the tin man let go of the angst machine?"

This time Shadow was able to call out a "Hey!"

Mephiles sighed. "I was really hoping to avoid him."

Henry shook his head. "It ain't right. You look like the guy, fer cryin' out loud! Did ya honestly think he wouldn't come looking for you at some point or another?"

"I had hoped. But hopes are foolish, I suppose."

"Hopes are not _foolish_, but you need to be more realistic. Hope for big things, but work and expect small things."

Shadow was now irritated. "Are you going to talk all day, or can we get this stupid adventure rolling?"

Mephiles turned to Shadow and met his gaze. Shadow was slightly disturbed. He had just noticed that Mephiles wasn't blinking.

"Sorry…" Mephiles said earnestly. "Knight, release Shadow."

The Knight beeped. An obvious refusal.

"I don't care if your directive is to obey your currently designated master: I told you to let him go."

Again the Knight beeped, and Shadow struggled slightly.

"If you're holding his hands, how is he supposed to give me the Time Stone?"

The Knight looked down at Shadow's hands, which were uncomfortably twisted. For Shadow, anyway.

Damn the time spirit and his perfect logic. Took all the fun out of being a warrior and turned it into rules for a robot.

The Knight let go of Shadow's hands and took a few steps back. Shadow rubbed his wrists. "Thanks… I guess."

Mephiles turned. "Retrieve Metal, Omega. We must make our way to Kingdom Valley and seek refuge."

The Black Knight pointed at Shadow with both of its index claws. Were they to let Shadow go?

Shadow seemed to agree, though he did not know it. "What about me?"

"I know you, Shadow. You will follow me where ever I go. You want to know why we share a face."

Shadow raised a brow. He couldn't deny his curiosity, though it needed a stronger word.

Mephiles turned down the path they had to walk, and like a cult group, Omega, with Metal in his arms, the Black Kight, and Henry followed. Shadow looked around the canyon he stood in, noticing how it was covered in plant life.

He didn't like this. He was usually the mysterious guy who knew everything.

Shadow arched his eyebrows and started after the odd group.

-break-

"I don't have time for tests!" Silver yelled at the three priests that blocked his path. "We have to the other side of the valley before that ship explodes!"

The youngest one, with glasses, spoke up. "We can not let anyone pass who does not have a pure heart."

Silver gritted his teeth. "I'm sick of all this magic stuff! I have to deal with this crap all the time! When was the last time someone came here to get to the castle? I bet hardly ever, and when they do come they're a part of some prophecy." Silver lowered his head, looking tired. "Can't you just let us by? Can't you let me have one freebee?"

The three priests stood their ground.

Silver fell to his knees. They would never make it in time. His eyes became blurry. Tails and Vector looked at each other, unsure what to say, what to do.

Silver raised his head and voice to the sky, and thrust his hands above him, like a child waiting for an adult to guide him. "Please" he cried, in two different ways. "I don't care about fame. I don't care if my name is forgotten to time. I don't care if you strip me of everything else that I have. Just please… help me, Lord. Help me…"

A hand was held out to him. Silver looked in front of himself, and he smiled. Mephiles was the one who held out a hand.

"Mephiles…" said Silver softly.

"Tails! Vector!" shouted Shadow as ran to them.

"Omega?" asked Vector.

"Metal!" cried Tails.

"Everyone shut up!" yelled Henry.

The three priests took a step back, looks of confusion on their faces. The eldest one spoke. "You all can't be here. You're all trespassing on sacred ground."

Henry shook his head, his disgust very well shown. "You Holy hypocrites. You don't give a single shred of care for some poor lost soul. But then, how can you when the mighty Sun Bird flies as high as the sacred sky, and as low as the shadow of the mountain?"

The three priests looked at each other. Surprise was obvious from their faces.

"We will talk," said the eldest priest. "Come this way."

"Just a second, I have to make sure that these young people stay on track." Henry turned around, where the others were still, looking at Henry. "Let's keep this crazy train going. You," he pointed his cane at Tails, "start fixin' the robot. You," he pointed at Mephiles, "start explaining what's going on. You," he pointed at Silver, "come with me." Henry turned around and went with the priests to a finely carved alcove.

Silver, through his tears, smiled at Mephiles. "Thanks."

"I don't deserve it."

Silver ran after Henry. That left Mephiles, Omega, Shadow, Tails, Vector, and Metal. If you counted him despite him being off.

Vector and Tails, being left out whatever had happened with Shadow, started bombarding Shadow with questions.

"What happened?" asked Vector.

"Did you beat him?" asked Tails.

"Where was Metal!" asked Vector.

"What happened to him?" asked Tails.

The Knight picked up Tails and brought him over to Metal, and pointed a claw at him. Tails nodded, and began taking Metal apart without another question.

"The cloaked one _was_ Metal," said Shadow with his arms crossed. "I can't believe I didn't figure it out sooner."

"What!" cried Vector. He turned his head to Metal, even more confused than before.

Tails looked at Metal, questions asked that only his face could ask. "Why? Why didn't he tell us sooner?"

Mephiles spoke up. "He could not do anything different than what he saw himself do. If he had, time would have collapsed. And besides that: if he had come in contact with you, there would have been an extra yellow emerald. _Eight_ Emeralds. Just think of the catastrophe that could have caused."

"There's still some pieces missing." Shadow turned to Mephiles, who was looking up at the sky. "First off, who are you?"

Mephiles kept his gaze up. "I am your shadow."

Shadow raised a brow. "What?"

"I am your shadow. Think about it. I am a shadow of a being that is a shadow of life. A shadow of a shadow. Even faker than the fake."

Shadow scrunched his brows.

Vector pumped his fists. "Alright pal, stop talking in riddles and answer the question. I've got enough man power to crush Mt. Everest, and you'll get to see it up close and personal."

"I should not exist. It is by the greatest of chances- gifts that I still am still here. But I should not be. I should be gone to the deepest of the darkness." Before Shadow could ask what he meant, music started playing.

"Sorry," cried Tails, though he didn't really sound like it. "For some reason this started as I was checking his motherboard."

"_I'd be thinner, I'd be taller,_

_Go clubbing in my caller,_

_With skin pale as a moth…_

_Dressed in black, I'd go creepin',_

_While the normal folks are sleepin'_

_If I only were a goth_"

Mephiles grunted. "He always knows how to annoy me. Even when he's not here to do it."

Vector "Uuuuuhh"'d, but Mephiles cut him off, the song going in the background. "Long ago, the duke of Soleanna made a mistake. His mistake caused him to lose his most precious treasure. This treasure was the most valuable thing in the world to him, but he could never get it back. Long ago, he had a flame, entrusted to his family by my father. This flame was small, so small, it would seem, you could blow it out with a single breath."

Another song came from where Metal and Tails were.

"_It was raining hard_

_In 'Frisco_

_I needed one more fare to make my night_

_The lady up ahead went to flag me down_

_She got in at the light_"

Shadow and Vector looked at each other, looks of 'Uuuuhh' on their faces.

"Never ago, the duke grew insane with grief. He intended to use this flame, this memory of my father's power, to fix the mistake. But not fix it: erase it. Make it so it never happened. This was a mistake in itself.

"The flame, though made of light, created a shadow on the floor as it shone. This flame, when used in the way the Duke intended, was opposed to the pure light it was offered. A flame can not make light without a shadow, and the flame, in a scientific reaction, caused a ripple in time, and two beings were made. One was light, and the other was darkness. The light was powerful, but it was blind by its grand shine. The darkness could see fine, but it lacked definition, it lacked shape.

"The light and the darkness were new to the world around them, and they were frightened. One moment, they did not exist, the next they did and in an existence surrounded by death. People lay scattered everywhere. The light and the darkness went away to hide from the pain around them, unaware that in their wake they left… things that intended to do more harm."

"_I… stand alone!_

_I… stand alone…_

_I… stand alone!_

_I… stand alone…_"

"Two warriors were brought to this time by the ripple light and darkness had created. One sought to fix problems that had been left by the Duke, in the same way as the Duke: the other sought to understand the opponent that had threatened him in the distant future.

"One warrior chased the darkness, and the darkness was confused. The darkness did not understand why the warrior chased it. It did not understand why the warrior trapped it in a darkness deeper than itself. But it swore revenge for this injustice.

"Ten years the darkness spent in a scepter, plotting, scheming, but most of all, loosing its mind. When next it tasted air, the darkness had grown in power, but at the cost of its sanity. It took on the shape of the one who released it: the warrior that had trapped it so long ago."

Shadow furrowed his brows, and Vector scratched his chin. Somewhere in Mephiles' monologue, Tails had stopped messing with Metal's innards and was starring at the story teller, but not before the song changed.

"_Somebody get me through this nightmare_

_I can't control myself!_"

"The warrior had never seen the darkness before, though. How is this possible, you might ask. The darkness, in his rage, sent the warrior to a distant future, where the light had destroyed almost all that could be destroyed. The darkness had planned to destroy not just the universe, but time itself just because it believed time was full of cruel, evil creatures including itself. But because of this, the darkness inexplicably sent the warrior, and even the other warrior, to the past where the warrior, believing that the darkness was evil, trapped the darkness, thus creating an endless cycle of pain. At some point, the darkness succeeded in releasing the light from its prison, by destroying a hero, and causing a maiden to cry."

Somehow, the song changed again.

"_I'm an emo kid_-"

A rock was thrown. There was a clang. The music stopped.

"Are you awake, Metal?" asked Tails, obviously annoyed.

"He conscious," grunted Mephiles. "His body's just broken.

"The light and the darkness combined their furious powers, and their strength destroyed time and space in a God-like fashion. But my father saw to it that the warrior that had trapped the darkness, the warrior that the darkness had tricked, and the warrior that the darkness had killed were able to attain their own God-like power, and destroy the light and the dark. The hero it had killed and the maiden went back to the time when the light and the dark were still just a simple flame, and blew it out, erasing the horrors that had happened.

"Have any of you guessed who the darkness and who the warrior was?" asked Mephiles as he turned his head to Shadow.

Shadow returned the gaze.

Vector spoke up. "Hold up: first off, how do we know you're telling the truth?"

Mephiles looked off to the side. Vector and Tails jumped slightly as, from a portal that came from nowhere, Mephiles walked out. Vector and Tails now starred at a third black hedgehog, while Shadow still starred at the second.

"I just traveled back in time about ten seconds," said the new Mephiles. The other one stepped through the portal that was still there, and the portal disappeared.

Shadow stepped back a bit, seemingly astonished. "That was like…"

Mephiles nodded. "Chaos Control."

Vector scratched his chin again. "Alright, how about this: if that time never happened, how are you still here?"

"I should not. But… my father gave me a second chance. I did not know it until I had been set free from my non-existence by an anomaly so powerful, only my father could control it: a black hole."

-break-

Somewhere, deep underground, all three Babylon Rogues sneezed. At the same time.

"Bless you," said Silver as he tried to arrange some crates in a stair like fashion with his mind.

"Thanks" said Jet.

-break-

"You see, before I could redeem myself in the eyes of my father, my mind and body had to be repaired. And only one person could help me with this task. The smartest being in the universe…

-Author's Note-

Give me ten minutes, the next one's coming up.

Okay, that sneeze thing: they say that if you sneeze, someone is talking about you. And for those who played Zero Gravity, you know why the Rogues sneezed. If you don't, it's because the Rogues had created that Black Hole. Interesting, is it not? And that is not a typo, Silver is with them. Those of you who know the tale of 360 would understand.

The Conflicted Writer


	29. Temporal part 2

**Temporal: Time, Religion, Brief, and Tense part 2**

A light. It was a tear. A tear in the nature of the universe. Something that should not have happened. Much like himself.

But this was not an opportunity he was going to miss. He rushed for this exit, expecting it to close on him just before he made it, leaving him again in nothingness. But he escaped. He could-not feel-but sense the world around him. Many beings were flying around at high speeds, chasing after some… thing. A thing that was keeping the tear in the universe open. Was this for him? Did this thing open the portal for himself?

This was of no concern though. He had other things to worry about. First, he needed a body. He had lost this in nothingness. He did not have any physical form to claim as his own, and all he was, was a consciousness that only just existed. Only just.

Soon, he could sense that the hole had closed, but he was still there. Excellent. Soon, he would have his revenge.

First, he sought the one that had done this to him. This was easy. His power was so great, he was simple to find. But he could do nothing against his enemy. He lacked the power to infiltrate such a mind and corrupt it from the inside.

So all he could do was wait. He followed his enemy always, scheming, plotting, always imagining his cries of pain.

He did not understand time in exact measurements, but it was a great while before he found an opportunity to suit his situation. A -shape- had come from a time yet to happen, and there now were two of it. This new form was weak in temporal stability. It was perfect for him to use.

He went to this shape and watched it. It was lost, he could tell, but it was not confused. He might have noticed this, but he did not care. He was too… happy was not the correct word. Pleased would have been more accurate. This shape had a great deal of power, but there was no heart beat, no consciousness that he could truly feel. He followed this shape, though, and kept an eyeon it, studied its actions as best as he could.

In a short while, the shape came to a being that he barely recognized as someone he knew. But, again, it mattered not to his current state of being. But as he watched over these figures, the shape did things that caused the person to feel admiration, and pride, and most of all… joy. Then, the person gave the shape power. A massive amount of power, but so focused, so small, one could put it in a pocket.

After a long enough time of watching as best as he could, he had decided this shape would make an excellent form to use to exact revenge. He crept into the shape, and found it hollow.

Perfect for taking over.

He tried to grasp the shape. And he realized: he had made a mistake.

It was not an empty shape. This was not an empty mind. It was a vast mind. A mind so large, the universe, even in its infinite form, could fit inside a million times over. It was overpowering how large this mind was. It was overpowering how stable it was. And it overpowered him.

His mind was broken, and was no match against the vast mind as it crept through the cracks of his own. He could -feel- his mind diminishing, breaking away, falling into the vast mind. It was horrible. It was worse than being in nothing. There is no physical way to describe the -pain- the -fear-.

Then, the horror stopped.

The vast mind began to spread, gently this time, over him, not consuming him, but holding him, running through his mind, searching his memories, picking him apart like a master technician would a program on a computer. He became separated from every part of what made him, and he felt an intense -fear-. It searched his feelings, recoiling at the rage and the sadness when it reached it.

He heard a voice.

_You poor creature._

In an expanse of time he could not recognize, the vast mind began to put him back together. He was rejoined with his mind, but his feelings were gone.

_Speak to me in your own voice. Who are you?_

I am… was… Mephiles.

_The Dark?_

Yes. How did you know?

_I found this while searching your mind. You have every right to hate, Mephiles. But would you rather do something else?_

What do you mean?

He felt the vast mind begin to -repair- his broken mind. It was… nice.

_I will repair you. But I can not repair what is not broken. Your emotions must be changed, and only you can do this. If you can change the way you feel with a repaired mind, a friend of mine can create you a body._

And if I don't?

_Then you will stay in the back of my mind until the day I die, in which case, you will die with me._

Not a much of a choice, is it?

_I have an intense hate as well. But I have… broken it down. I directed it at separate places, and realized what I truly hate. I realized that a lot of my hate was truly sadness. You can quell it, if you really want to._

Then I will agree to these terms.

_Be warned. The first time you are introduced, you will be wild. I will have to seal you away._

Then let the pain begin.

He felt again. His reformed sanity could barely take it

-mend-

I will find a way out.

_Yes, I'm sure you will._

Stop talking as like that.

_Like what?_

Stop talking as if I were a child. I am ageless in cunning and wit.

_Your memories show you are only ten years old._

…

…

Bite me.

_Bite your own self, I'm busy_

_-_mend-

What is this?

_It's called music._

What does it do?

_What?_

What does it do for a person?

_Well… you listen to it._

Is that it? Is there no practical purpose?

_Uh, musicians call see music in 'tracks' that people can listen to whenever they want._

Do 'people' know what they're getting? I don't see the point. It seems useless.

_There is no practical purpose for music, but the best things in life are hardly ever practical._

...

_Mephiles?_

The words… they suit me.

"So what if you can see,

The darkest side of me,

No one will ever change

This an-i-mal I-have-be-come

_This song is really overused. But, it does seem to fit most any situation involving people like you. Ooh, this one's a favorite of mine._

…

_What?_

I thought you hated him.

_Yes… but this song is too darn good._

"I am the Egg-man!

It's what I am…"

-mend-

Mind?

This is what he had called the being he was trapped in.

_Yes?_

What possessed you to help a being like me?

_You tried to possess me. Does that count?_

Hardy har, har.

_You remind me much of myself. I had lost my mind, though I technically never had one. I know what it's like to be trapped in ever lasting rage._

Perhaps you got over your hate. But I can not get over mine.

_Why?_

The hate I feel is far more powerful than any other hate out there.

_Would you like to feel my rage?_

_..._

_Mephiles? Are you alright?_

No I'm not alright! That was… was… I can't come up with a good enough word!

_Now, I will introduce it again._

No! Don't send it back! I'll do anything!

_Calm yourself. I will show you this rage again, but this time, being directed at more beings than one._

_..._

How were you able to figure this out?

_You can see how large my mind is. But a good friend doesn't hurt._

Then… can you help me? Search my memories, point out things, make logical guesses that I could not... Be my friend?

_I'm not a psychologist… but yes. I can. If you're willing to listen. If you're willing to accept another's help._

_But why so eager all of a sudden? You had hated me for the longest time._

I wish to know if my hate is justifiable. This will prove that either I am right, and I deserve to destroy this hero, or you are right, and I should repent.

_How do you know I won't lie to you?_

If you were going to lie, you would not have asked.

_True._

_..._

_So, with the spikes in time that very much resembles your time shifting powers, and since your time shifting powers are a deviation of Shadow's power, it can be assumed that this spike that happened right before your creation is indeed Shadow himself. Therefore, it was because you sent him to the future and attacked him that he believed you were evil. Because of this, he must have gone back in time to seal you, thus making you angry, thus making you evil, thus tormenting Shadow ten years later, thus creating a paradox in which you would not exist as you are otherwise._

_Mephiles?_

I… I am confused.

_What about? Did I miss something?_

No. I just realized. My form. My being. Half of it belongs to someone else. I… I would not exist without him. I hate Shadow. But I owe him my life.

…

Mind?

_We have so much in common, Mephiles. My being depends very much on another. I hate this being. I was programmed to, but I naturally developed a hate for him. If I had not hated… I would not have loved. And then the fact that I was created because he existed is a given._

Programmed? How can you be programmed? Are you some robotic super weapon?

_Well… I am robotic. I am a weapon. And I am 'super' by normal standards. But if you mean like Shadow… I am not like that. I am a robot. I always have been._

A robot? You mean this intelligence I have been talking to, that has been repairing me, is a machine? You seem more intelligent. Even more so than the one Shadow was with. How can this be?

_I do not know. I believe it is a program my creator used when making me, but I have searched my systems multiple times and found no anomaly that can explain me as a whole. But I have simply stopped caring._

How can you stop caring? Don't you want to know what made you what you are?

_Yes, everyday I have tried to come up with a logical response. But I have counted my blessings, and thanked the Gods._

Gods? You, with all your logic, believe in Gods?

_Well, I have met one. In fact, I became him. Twice. I still have some off his powers, in fact._

You're bluffing.

_Am not. And besides, a way I like to explain it in the sense of a computer game. You make the rules, but you still have to abide by them, even if you can bend them. Gods created this land, and if they didn't obey the rules they set, what example would they set?_

Then… by that logic… you should have not met a God.

_How good of you to notice. You and I do have a lot in common. The God I happened upon is the God of Destruction, but in a broader sense, the God of Chaos. He has broken many rules, but as the God of Chaos, he pretty much makes all of them anyway._

And the God of Destruction didn't destroy you.

_Like I said, he is the God of Chaos as well. He can be… sporadic._

Mind… I was exploring your thoughts a time ago.

_Yes, I was tracking you, but you disappeared for a little while. I knew you were there, but it was like you were standing in a place that didn't exist._

I found a… door. It was very secure. Is there something in there?

… _Tell me more._

It was large, and reinforced, and had barriers that made it almost invisible. But it was cracked and rusty, and there was a banging. Something on the other side wanted to get out, but it couldn't hear me. I passed by, not really thinking about it.

… _I have to dwell on this. Please leave me for a while. I and Henry have almost completed your new form, but we're having a hard time stabilizing the liquid form while keeping the solid form's memory intact._

One more thing, Mind.

_Yes?_

Do you have a name?

_Metal. My name is Metal. My full name is Metal Sonic, but I don't like to be called that._

Thank you, Metal.

-mend-

What is that?

_In the name of everything bright and shiny…_

What is it? I can sense a new consciousness. Is it infiltrating your mind? Send me, Metal. I will take out his being.

_Mephiles, stop._

I'll show this thing what happens when you mess with my friend.

_Mephiles, I really suggest shutting up._

What's going on? There's warmth. What is this?

_Oh my Go- I mean, Holy- oh jeez, I'm insulting Him at every turn._

Metal? Who are you? Leave this place. You are causing my friend distress.

_Mephiles! Do you have any idea who you're talking too!_

**Do not blame him. He has done nothing to insult My name.**

Who… what…

Mephiles felt a new mind. To say it dwarfed Metal's would be an understatement.

**It has been a long time, has it not, My son?**

_Oh jeez…_

Son?

**I have many children. In fact, some might say all are My children. But, I would suppose you and Iblis are more closely related to Me than most.**

You are my father? I'm a lab experiment gone wrong. I have no relatives in blood. The closet to a father I have is the Duke of Soleanna.

_Oh jeez…_

**Maybe not in blood. But in flame, you and I could almost be clones.**

In flame? What's that supposed to mean? Iblis is flame, and I am shadow.

**But a flame can not be a flame without a shadow, otherwise it is all light. In pure light, you are blind. Darkness is needed so that Light does not overwhelm, and vice versa. In fact, in flame is not a good enough way to describe. We are Father and son through Law.**

_I'm now hyperventilating… if I had lungs anyway…_

Who are you?

**I can understand your lack of faith, your desire to not see me for what I am, for what you are. I had to put you through so much to prepare you for your cruel role in this world.**

Stop ignoring my questions.

_Oh man… Oh jeez… I'm still alive…_

**Please stop doing that.**

_Yes Sir._

**And stop shivering. I know it's said you are supposed to fear Me in almost every manuscript about Me, but I don't randomly shoot bolts of lightning at whoever says life is unfair. I made mortals with this ability for a reason, you know.**

_Okay… I'm cool._

Stop this nonsense. Tell me what's going on now. Answer my question.

… **I haven't been ordered like that since my second to last son demanded a seat with the higher ups.**

**I have many names. Creator is common for the 'information' age. Lord is a common one. They don't use Christ as much as they used to, and I don't even hear Zeus anymore.**

… Solaris?

**If that is what you wish to call Me, My son.**

…

**I can see that many questions run through you now, and you can not think straight. First off, you might be this worlds savior, but don't expect people following you and worshiping you every time you take a step. Really, I could send this world salvation on a silver platter, but they would walk on by. I miss The Good Samaritan. There just isn't enough of him in the world anymore.**

You're Solaris. And I'm not damned?

**There are many ways you could be damned. It is your destiny for you to stop the destruction of time, and to repair the imbalance. Whether or not you fulfill this destiny is up to you.**

You're my father? I must have lost my mind.

**They always have a hard time at first, but I will give you a chance to redeem yourself from the pain I had to place you in, and make amends for all the pain you have caused. Then I will give you all of your powers, a life in this world, and My blessing.**

But… father, what pain is there left for me to fix? It has all been erased from time, hasn't it?

_If I may interject, Blaze from that timeline may still exist. A Blaze from an alternate dimension came here, seeking help in a time when this world and that one collided. I had not realized this until I had met Mephiles and pieced it together, but she is very cold for one affiliated with fire. Perhaps Iblis is still sealed within her._

Iblis? Can he be saved as well?

**That is for you to decide.**

I am afraid. Is this real? You are so warm, but I don't want to be fooled by an illusion, a trick of the light.

**You may doubt all you want, but I have said what must be said. Your new form is now complete. Henry has added the finishing touches, and it is time for Mephiles to be reborn. But we are not yet done. Metal.**

_Uh, yes?_

**You have a destiny as well, though it has not yet been revealed to you. I need you, and Mephiles if he is willing to assist, to find an imbalance that has been caused by Sonic. But I will not tell you what is wrong. You must figure that out as well.**

_If I may ask, why?_

He's Solaris, be thankful for whatever help he's giving already. It's sure to be invaluable.

**Believe me, Hades is going to have a field day about how I play favorites after he finds out how I've helped you so far.**

_This is getting weird now._

**Now then, I shall get you both started on your quest. I'm really just giving you help now, so don't expect any sudden… miracles for a while.**

Can we trade the help for the miracles?

**No.**

_Darn._

**You remember the Time Stones of long ago, Metal. As you were going around, collecting Emeralds, you were also here, the three of you gathering these Stones.**

_Wait, the Time Stones? Shouldn't those be on Little Planet?_

**They should. But a Black Hole caused a large rip the universe, and though the immediate effects were stopped, the tear lingers. You, Mephiles, and Sonic have caused the rip to enlarge, and I sent the Time Stones to this time for you to collect. However, you must bring Sonic a Time Stone so that he will tear the universe, otherwise the universe will collapse on itself for not tearing slightly in this infinite paradox.**

This time travel stuff is a lot harder when you don't want everything to implode. But, if my time traveling powers are limited, how will we know what we need to do at a specific time?

_I can make logical guesses dependant on what I saw myself do. If my hunch is right, collecting the Time Stones in a linear fashion will take us to Blaze, Soleanna, and the end of this loop._

What about Silver?

_What about- oh, right._

**The Time Stones can repair all damage. Silver may remain here. This is a very kind thing for you to offer.**

…

**With the Time Stones, you will both be able to stabilize the universe, and yourselves. Then, you must repair the imbalance that Sonic has caused.**

_Does this imbalance have anything to do with me becoming a real living, breathing creature, perchance?_

**Yes. You must still seek the emeralds to become what you wish. But be warned: When you at last have touched all the Emeralds, you will learn of something that will change your being in many ways. You may no longer find yourself in a position to show mercy. But to whom? You will find out.**

_I don't understand._

**They hardly ever do.**

**Now, it is time. Awaken my son. Be reborn. Breath life once more. We will be in contact.**

-fixed-

Mephiles felt the pull of gravity on him for the first time in a long while. Sight returned to him, but all was blurry at first. He limped forward and groaned, his mind slowly adjusting to being in a body again.

"In the name of God, he's moving," Mephiles heard the voice of an old man. The old man dropped his cane and stepped back while having a coughing fit.

"Had you any reason to doubt me?" came a voice Mephiles recognized. But now, there was an electronic interference.

"I… I didn't actually believe ya… but…" The old man laughed. "It's true. It's true. Everythin' ya told me is true. I might have a chance at resting in peace yet.

Mephiles' vision cleared, and he saw the floor. It was wooden, and there were chunks of amethyst littering the ground. Mephiles looked up. Before him was an old hedgehog, brown in color, dressed in stereotypical old man clothing, complete with tiny glasses. The other figure wore a cloak, hiding most of his form, but not his head. It was a shining cranium, with glowing red eyes, a Silver muzzle, and a spike for a nose.

Mephiles looked at his hands. They were claws. But they were not vicious. They were so well cut, so well smoothed it was hardly believable. He looked back at the two figures, his eyes wondering to the cloaked one.

"Metal?" asked Mephiles in a raspy voice. "Is that you?"

"That depends," asked the cloaked one, his gaze unmoving, his form un-shifting. "Is that you?"

There was a moment of silence.

"Bite me."

"Bite your own self I'm busy."

Mephiles was saddened by this. True, he now knew it was the mind he had spent so much time with, and true, he still felt safe. But now he could not feel the joy coming from him, and he could not share his with him. They had been separated, and Mephiles knew that neither of their faces could show how they felt.

Metal held out a steel hand to help Mephiles up. Mephiles took it, noticing how neither of them felt the others touch.

"_Wish I may, wish I might,_

_Be someone else tonight,_

_Sometimes I wish I was never born at all._

_And though I'll try to save the world,_

_And sing the end I know,_

_I'm the chosen one._"

Music came from very near them, couldn't have been more than a few houses away.

The old man smiled. "Brings back memories."

"So, Mephiles, are you ready to save the world?"

"… Yes, Metal. We are the chosen ones."

-Author's Note(s)-

I lied, it's been a few hours. Oh well! Read the original note why don'tcha?

Man, this was a long one, yet it just spilled right out of my brain. I had originally wanted this and the last chaper's general points to be in the same file, but there was no way I could do it, so I had to seperate. But, at least I got it out fast.

Yes people, that thick lettering was the voice of Solaris. I almost didn't want to do it, but a reassuring warmth in me said it was fine. I hope I don't affend anyone or their religion with this, but considering the fact that Sonic games do tend to get biblical on us, I don't think anybody would be here if their religion was insulted.

Now, to clarify some things, Mephiles was in the back of Metal's mind, but Metal was still doing stuff. He's a great multi-tasker. This is meant to take place after Metal goes back in time, and before Metal is off on the boat, if that time travel paradox stuff makes sense. We will also not be covering what happens during Metal's exploits as the cloaked one in this style of writng. If I do tell, it will be through the other characters that he met along the way, later. So next chapter, we will return to Mephiles, who told this story to Shadow, Vector and Tails. But what happens next? I'll never tell... early.

You know, I'm surprised there isn't any fan art out there featuring both Mephiles and Metal, because they have so much in common. First off, they were both made from science, then they're both copies of someone else. Then they both harbor an intense hate for the person they are a copy of. Then they both hardly have any facial features to express emotion with, making it hard to know their inner thoughts. You get the gist, they have so much in common, yet it seems as if I'm the only one who notices. Ah well.


	30. Three Ways to Destroy the Universe

**Three ways to Destroy the Universe**

Mephiles told the story of how he and Metal knew each other. He had explained how he was the son of Solaris and how he had to save the world. This created a situation- make that two- that caused him discomfort.

Vector, after a few silent seconds, got on his hands and knees, bowing to Mephiles. Irritatingly. Tails had gone back to fixing Metal, a numb expression on his face. Either Tails believed he was talking to a madman, or all of his hopes had been dashed aside even more at the knowledge that… someone couldn't do everything correct in the world.

Shadow stood still with his eyes fixated on Mephiles, searching for any signs of… what? Lies? Truth? Insanity? He would find none on the face of Mephiles.

"All hail," said Vector after bowing a few times. "We are not worthy."

Mephiles sighed. "Please stop doing that."

"Yes, your dark-y-ness" Vector said a little too enthusiastically.

Shadow turned to Tails. "Are you almost done with him?" he asked, somewhere between worryingly and hurryingly.

"Almost" said Tails, emotionless. "He's in real bad shape. I can barely believe he's still operational. He needs some serious upgrades."

"No…" Metal's hand shook as it raised for Tails shoulder. "Not enough time."

"Metal!" Tails yelled, his joy and smile coming back.

If Metal could only smile. "To you, it's only been a day. For me it's been too long." Metal pushed himself up, one arm wrapped around Tails.

"Metal, you're in terrible condition. We need to get you to a garage, or something."

Metal shook his head and tried, and succeeded, in standing up on his own. "Not enough time. We must… hurry."

Mephiles walked up to Metal, and placed a hand on his chest. A slight purple glow emitted from his palm, and Metal sighed in relief.

"He is correct" said Mephiles as he ran his hand over the rest of him. "I can't keep healing you forever, especially since you don't have anything to actually heal."

"So, what he said is true?" asked Shadow. "You got to meet… Him?"

Metal nodded as he bent his arm. "What Mephiles told you is true. We got to talk to Solaris."

Shadow turned his head away. If you looked really hard, there was a glisten at the very corner of his eye.

"We can have a biblical discussion later," said Metal. "We have to hurry."

"Why?" asked Vector, who had gotten over his worship episode a little too fast for comfort. "What's the rush if we got a guy who can travel through time? A mistake, and we can go back and fix it, right?"

Mephiles shook his head. "What's already happened is in stone. Changing it would distort and ruin our present. The future is free, so problems must be fixed there." He took a step back from Metal. "That should hold you together for another hour."

Tails suddenly realized something. "Hey, wait a second! Why did you take my rhythm badge? And what did you need it for?"

Before Metal could answer, an old man's voice cut through the air. "That was my doing." They all turned, and Henry and Silver walked forward. Silver had a smile on his face now as apposed to the near tears he was at before. Henry held out a purple tassel to Tails, and Tails took it gratefully. "I was hoping it was the special type of stone I'd been looking for. I was wrong. Sorry about that."

Tails put the badge in his chest fur. "You have no idea how much this thing means to me."

"What's going on?" asked Mephiles to Henry.

Henry pointed over to a great eagle, which was preening its feathers at the moment. "We got passage through the valley, but those stubborn holy men wouldn't call any more birds. It's only got enough horse power to carry two of us to the mirror check point. The rest of us will have to walk."

Metal's eyes shrank. They had so much to do, and so little time to accomplish it. They could not be in three places at once.

That sounded really stupid considering how many of them there were, but certain objectives had to be met, and certain obstacles got in there way. He had to think fast.

"Knight," Metal called as smoothly as he could. The Black Knight walked up to him and saluted. The others had forgotten it was still there.

"Omega," Metal also called. He stepped forward, awaiting instructions.

"You two must escort Henry to the castle; take him to Elise as fast as you possibly can. We don't have much time left."

Henry coughed loudly again, worse than he had before. "Metal… there isn't enough time left. You shouldn't bother."

Metal turned to Henry and met his eyes. "No," Metal said defiantly. "We've gone too far to simply give up. Not without a fight at least.

"Tails, I know this is asking a lot of you, but please, go with Knight and Omega. I know what you can do with the Rhythm Badge, and you can help them well."

"Why? What's going on? What about you? I'm so confused."

"You're rushing things here, Metal," Shadow said calmly. "We need to know what's going on, and what happened to you."

"Please Shadow, Tails, Vector, I need you to trust me on this, and I need your help. I'm in no condition to move at quick speeds, and where we all need to be we need to be there fast. Shadow, you and Vector have to go with Mephiles, help him with his mission to find the last Time Stone. Silver will find friends along his journey."

Mephiles chuckled. "Remind me never to play him in chess. He can think so far ahead that time hasn't written it yet."

Vector scratched his head. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Silver spoke up, a fire in his eyes. "We don't have that much time to spare. Eggman's got Blaze, and there's no telling what he has planned." He looked pained for a moment, the fire diminishing slightly. "I can't let anything happen to her… not this time."

Henry coughed very loudly.

Shadow looked Mephiles over again. "What about you? What are we doing?"

Mephiles pointed in a particular direction. "Did you know Sonic time traveled long before he met any of you?"

Tails eyes widened slightly, Shadow raised a brow, while Vector raised both.

"Well, we need to make sure he doesn't do it again."

Shadow furrowed his brows. "I still have a lot of questions. But, if Metal thinks it's urgent then I'll trust you for now."

"Then we'd better get going. It's a long run to the desert." Mephiles turned his head to Metal. "Don't do it Metal."

"I can't make any promises."

The few features of a face Mephiles had seemed to scowl. "I can't bail you out if I don't find what I'm looking for. Just remember that." Mephiles's skates ignited and he was off. Shadow was after him a second later, with Vector tailing behind as fast as he could go.

Silver nodded and saluted with a hand, while the other reached for the sky. The grand eagle soared over him, and Silver grabbed its talons. He was carried off.

Tails felt at home, yet out of place with the group that was left. Sure, he was a techno wizard, but three semi-sentient robots was a little much.

The Black Knight, with its large sword on its back, picked up Henry. Henry was breathing heavily suddenly. "I've been away from my stones for too long."

Omega's hands retracted into his arms. From the right arm came a machine gun turret, from the left extended a cannon, most likely laser. "Mission objective: protect knight." Omega, with his mini boosters, flew off, and the Knight, skating, and Henry in its arms, followed. Tails turned to Metal.

He seemed so weak now, all battered and broken. Only one other time had he looked like that, and at that time Metal had given up. He was broken in mind. Now, he was broken, but he would not go down and his will was stronger than ever. There were so many words to say, and seemingly not enough time and not enough ways to say it. He wanted to express his joy at seeing Metal again. Say how relieved he was that he was fine. Say how much it repaired him, Tails, to know he was there.

All he could muster was; "See you later."

Metal chuckled. There was no thumbs up Sonic would have given to lighten the mood when things seemed bleak. Metal hid none of his emotions from Tails. He honestly sounded confident. "I hope you will." Tails, using his tails, sped off after the other two robots.

Metal was all alone now. Not even the comfort of the priests, who had gone back to sealing the way. Metal looked in all directions. He pulled from his bag that none of his friends had noticed a shining green jewel.

"Stone of Time… give me the power to save Henry from his fate." The stone shimmered, and Metal pulled out his sword. With steps that seemed to be forced against a current of water, Metal walked after Omega, Tails, the Knight, and Henry, intent on ripping the fabric of reality at its seams.

-break-

Silver came to an impasse. What was this impasse that a psychokinetic hedgehog could not get over, through, or around?

It was a ninety degree road that pointed straight up. Then there were some loops that ate up his time because he couldn't go right through them. But this sky bound road is what was in his way right now.

"Whoever came up with this needs to be fired," Silver said, quite annoyed. He had to use every bit of his mind to get passed this one.

-break-

Vector's tongue hung out, dry as bone, as he would say. Being cold blooded, this wasn't the best environment for him, even if he wasn't doing to much moving.

Going across this 'damned desert' as Shadow and Mephiles would have put it (and Mephiles knew a thing or two about 'damned') was difficult, to put it lightly. To put it heavily: "How the hell, in the name of all that is good and whatever, is a desert made entirely out of quicksand, yet still has buildings standing_ on top_ of the sand! There is absolutely no possible effing way for this to place to actually exist in one way or another! How do tourists explore this place without a hover craft! Honestly!" These were Shadow's words.

"As you put it, 'damned' is a great way to sum it up," said Mephiles, his unblinking eyes fixated forward at the temple they were heading towards. "These ruins once belonged to a society that believed in the prospect of nothing. Something from nothing, nothing to get everything. They were the opposite of today's definition of an alchemist, who believed you had to sacrifice something to gain something of equal value. These were a people of darkness and coldness, for, scientifically speaking, these are things of nothing. They were successful in creating things, but the simple necessities of life were not enough for them. They became horrible and twisted creatures in their greed and eventually faded into nothingness."

Shadow rolled his eyes. "Let me guess: Solaris damned these grounds and these people, right?"

Mephiles looked up. "That's what everyone believes. But it was another being. In Greek mythology it speaks of the Titan of Time, Kronos, father to the gods of Olympus. What few people today know by heart is that this Titan had a father, the being said to have created everything from nothing. This being is not God, nor was he one himself. He was just there, much like Solaris. I know not if he was powerful as or weaker than Solaris, but we can only pray we never find out."

Shadow gulped and breather heavily, much like Vector, but it was not heat that caused him to do this. He was afraid. Imagine, Shadow, afraid to ask a simple question. But he knew this question was not simple. Not in any way at all, despite how few words were in it.

"Mephiles?"

"Hmm?"

"What… what religion is true?"

"… Which one do you want to be true?"

"Not the answer I was hoping for."

"It is as I said. All religions ask of one thing of all. Be good. The secret of life can be summed up that way as well. Other than that, believe whatever you want to believe, whatever makes you happy. Our own personal happiness isn't a sin, nor should it be considered greedy so long as you follow the basic law of being good."

"Need… water…" whimpered Vector from the hover draft floor where he lay.

"Stop for a moment" said Mephiles.

"Why?"

"Just pull over and I can get water."

Shadow did as was asked. Mephiles held a hand over the sand, and Shadow watched in slight awe as his hand became like that of finely carved amethyst. Mephiles gave a grunt, and his crystal hand glowed. From the sand below, water began to pool. This did not last long, however. Mephiles fell to his knees quickly, his hand shaping back to normal and the water falling back into the sand.

"I'm simply not strong enough," Mephiles wheezed.

Shadow looked at Vector, who was looking very dehydrated at the moment. "You said most of your power came from me, correct?"

"Yes."

"Than have some more." Shadow placed a hand on Mephiles's shoulder. They both felt the effects immediately. Mephiles shot back up, and instantly his hand became crystal again. With a sudden pull on Mephiles part water shot out of the ground and formed into a ball in his hand. Directing it with his normal hand, he sent a gentle stream into Vectors maw. Vector drank thankfully.

Vector closed his mouth, allowing the water to drip over him a moment. Mephiles stopped the stream. "Thanks guys," said Vector as he sat back up. "I'll be okay if we can find some shade. This is no place for a guy who likes to swim around in swamps."

Mephiles held the ball of water to Shadow. "Thirsty?"

Shadow wasn't really thirsty. He hardly ever was. But being thankful seemed to fall under 'being good.'

"Thank you," said Shadow and he sipped from the orb. He pulled away after a few gulps, and Mephiles let the water fall through his fingers, becoming a prisoner to the sand again. Shadow placed his hands back on the controls. Mephiles's hand went back to a glove. They traveled in silence for a while.

-break-

Silver came to a halt, again blocked by numerous robots. This was becoming annoying. He was in a race against time, and it seemed that time was throwing everything in his path as if he, in this moment, was not meant to reach the Egg Carrier.

His mind was weary, and he didn't have that much physical strength to spare. So many bars to bend, so many mountains to move. It was almost too much for him.

Then the wind blew. A mighty gust shot the robots down and tore them to pieces. Silver gasped and turned. Sonic, looking more serious than Silver had ever seen, walked up to him.

Silver raised a brow. "You lied to me," he said, though it came out like a question almost.

"I half lied," said Sonic as his eyes met Silver's. "Metal will become Megalo if the timeline remains this way. I didn't tell you it could be changed. But I want to help change it now."

"Why? I thought you hated Metal."

"I do… but I hate Eggman more."

Silver nodded, a smirk forming. "Well, I'm in a race against time and I have the wind helping me out. I wonder which one's more skilled."

Sonic smirked, a bit of what Silver first remembered seeing in him the first time they met showing. "I'm the fastest thing alive. Time doesn't stand a chance."

Silver hovered a few inches off the ground and held on to Sonics shoulders. In an instant, the sound barrier was broken.

-break-

Tails liked to dance. He had never told anyone. He had never shown anyone. No one had ever taught him. He remembered when Metal had 'danced' in the sky not so long ago, and he remembered how Metal had asked him to dance with him. He remembered saying he didn't know how to dance in the sky. Maybe not in those words, but all the same it was a lie. He had wanted to dance with Metal actually, but he was afraid to at the time.

He found this ironic, though. In a flurry of bullets, missiles, lasers, swords, fire, and metal, Tails was dancing his heart out. Sure, he was destroying stuff in the process, but only an uneducated fool would be able to say that his dancing was not some of the finest in the world. He had always known how to dance, but the Rhythm badge simply added a little less gravity, and a bit more strength in his appendages, all six of them. Now, he could dance, and say he was attacking. It was in this environment, surrounded by destruction, that Tails felt like he could dance safely.

How Ironic.

"Must eradicate all Eggman robots!" shouted Omega as one of his machine guns were shooting like crazy and one of his flamethrowers were… shooting flames.

The Knight was having a hard time. If it could love, it would have loved this. Here it was, holding an old man in one arm, fighting robots with the other, using every ounce of its skill. It was being perfect, by the standards of a machine. It was being the extent of what it could be, and it was having difficulties. To it, this meant it was doing not just the best of missions, the best of assignments, but it was like the Arthurian legends where only the best knights were sent to 'slay the dragon' and even then there was little chance they would come back alive. It was compared to those knights, the way it saw it. It was the best, with only its master being better.

Henry, despite his chest heaving from the gun smoke and powder, was smiling. Perhaps he would get his final wish before he died. He would not deny it. Death was only a breath away, despite how strong he acted. After the countless years of struggle, fighting some of the maddest things in creation, it seemed he would get his final words with that pretty Princess he had worked so hard for. It seemed he would tell Elise what he never had the chance to tell her.

So it seemed…

-break-

Metal took precise aim. With a mighty heave, he threw his blade, which was long and thin with a light blue stone in its hilt, at a window high above. The blade shattered the glass, landing somewhere on the other side. Suddenly Metal was heaved by some invisible force up through the air, through the shattered window, and back down to the ground. His feet met with a clang against the stone floor beneath him as his hand grabbed his sword, which was stuck in the ground. He pulled it out, and continued his walk.

_This is a mistake in every way, shape, and form. You're causing almost as much destruction to the world as I did with my first 'Perfect' episode._

"I know this," said Metal. "But… that hedgehog… all that happened to him… it doesn't seem right for him to die from a cough, Chaos."

_Many things don't seem fair, Metal. But, for one reason or another, things are meant to happen._

"Well, what if I'm really meant to save him? Need I remind you that you are a lesser being than Solaris?"

_Point well taken. Just don't do anything too stupid._

"Besides, if I didn't do this, time would fall apart anyway."

_And why is this?_

"Because, I'm no longer angry. I can no longer become Megalo."

_Again, a fine point. No Megalo, no destroyed Australia. Why Australia though?_

"Eggman had me chase a kangaroo there once. I silently swore to hate Australia for the rest of my existence."

_How amusing._

-break-

Mephiles, Shadow, and Vector walked through the ancient halls of the temple, Mephiles guiding them, following the pull of the last Time Stone.

"Are we really going to fight him?" said Vector. "It doesn't seem right to fight the world's greatest hero, ya know?"

Shadow was messing with the rings around his wrists. "We'll have to. We can't let Sonic ruin the space-time continuum with his running around, doing whatever the heck he feels like."

"Hold on," said Mephiles as he stopped walking.

"What is it?" asked Vector.

"Do you feel that?"

Shadow and Vector looked around.

Shadow responded first. "No."

"Exactly," said Mephiles. "Whenever Sonic's around, a slight wind blows even indoors. There is no wind."

A cackle from the top of a shrine sounded, hoarse, shrill, and very, very evil.

"That's because," said a voice that was as shrill as the cackle and as happy as the maddest madman you had heard, "Sonic is not here. No wind can exist whilst I am here."

The group of three looked to the top of the shrine, where a truly menacing figure was. He was a mesh of twisted metal and flesh, the flesh being green in color. He had the basic shape of a creature that stood on two legs, but other than that, there was nothing alive about this thing. It had claws that were half covered in skin, and half exposed metal, as if it were a machine wearing a horribly made disguise. It had eyes, Mephiles noticed, very similar to his own when he was mad. Bits of metal stuck out in random places, like at the end of his tail, out the sides of his torso, sticking out of his legs. All three of them took a step back as this thing leaped down to face them, holding a shining purple stone. They could see a horrible mouth made of jagged bits of metal.

Mephiles's pupils shrank. "Give me that Time Stone!" he demanded as forcefully as he could, losing the cool he had kept so well.

"Well, I would," the thing said insanely, "But I don't have one of those pretty little rocks dear old dad sent you for." The thing crushed the rock in his hand.

"A decoy!" Shadow cried.

"Who the heck are you?" said Vector as he got in a fighting stance. The other two followed suit.

"Me? I have no true name, like many beings of great power. I am greed incarnate, sloth made real, gluttony turned true, envy made… so on and so forth. I am the spirit of creatures desire to be the best, their endless hunger for more power, be it through energy or technology. I am what was born the second someone discovered fire. I am the spirit of Sin."

They all took another step back. "What are you doing here?" Mephiles asked. "Shouldn't you be down below with all the other vile spirits?"

Shadow furrowed his brow. "Wait, you mean he isn't a god of something?"

"You fool!" the thing mocked. "I am far better than those stuffy beings. They exist on a separate plain of reality, unable to affect this world without destroying everything. They can't even bend the wills of the weak minded. Spirits, like myself, exist in this plain, but possess far more power than any pathetic mortal.

"To answer your question, dear Mephy, I should be. But as it so happens that little hole in time dad wants you to fix has affected a lot more than the physical world. Everything's utter chaos down there, yet I was the only one who escaped. And I'm going to make the most of my little vacation in this world. Maybe destroy everything in existence, reshape it in my own image, that sort of thing."

"And how exactly do you plan to do that?" asked Mephiles. In a flash, he became his well carved crystalline self, the power simply spilling out of him. "Spirits of things can be stopped, just like the thing I once was, and we outnumber you. I'm willing to bet we can out power you."

Vector's hands glowed a firm green, while Shadow formed a Chaos Spear in his right hand and held his samurai sword in the other, pulling it from the nowhere he could put it in.

The thing laughed again. "You have already done it for me! Don't you see? You've set everything in motion! All I had to do was distract you long enough to not get the Time Stone fast enough. Metal, as we speak, is using the Time Stone you left with him to fight the current of time and save the little old man. To add insult to injury, your meddling has calmed him down. Even if the old man kicks the bucket, he'll let the old man rest. There will be no Megalo to cause destruction to the world.

"Then, Sonic and Silver are going to time travel. Had you not thought of Sonic's destination, or did you think he would repent at the last minute or something? Ha! Believe me, I know when a person is vile, and Sonic's got enough sin to make every lawyer in the world look like children fighting and kicking about candy."

Vector growled. "Don't talk about Sonic like that! He might not be the best guy around, but he's saved the world more times than I have fingers."

Mephiles and Shadow turned their attention to Vector, surprised by his sudden outburst. "Where did that come from?" asked Shadow.

"I'm an Ace Detective; the truth is what I live for. Sonic ain't no crook or criminal. I've seen it in his eyes, and if you want to get all mushy about it I can tell he's in pain or worry about something and it eats at him slowly. He ain't a sinner like you make him out to be."

"Be that as it may," said the thing, a hint of annoyance in his hissing voice, "he is still going to do something bad, and I've got sins to back it up.

"Then you sent that naïve child, Silver, to save the Queen of the Flames. Once he does, she'll be so overjoyed, so overcome with the emotion she's be holding back for so long she will cry and your brother will be set free. He will come to you, and you know what will happen then."

Mephiles formed a Chaos Lance in his crystal hand. "You don't scare me. You're not the first demon I've fought, you won't be the last."

"Ah," said the thing as the floor beneath them began to melt. "But I am a spirit. The spirit of Sin. As long as there exists a creature, so shall I."

Mephiles struck first.

-break-

Silver and Sonic came to halt. A loud explosion came from high above them. They both looked up to see that the Egg Carrier was smoking. They started to run faster.

Rouge could actually feel her teeth loosing dexterity as she ground them together. She turned to her three temporary partners in thievery, ready to tear them limb from limb.

"Which one of you," she said in a shrill whisper, "touched something you weren't supposed to touch?"

Jet pointed to Wave, Wave pointed to Storm, and Storm pointed two huge fingers at Jet. Rouge looked behind all three of them to see that someone pulled out the ships power source from a now shattered glass tube, which happened to be a big shiny crystal that could be worth anywhere from thousands to millions of dollars on the black market.

"I can't believe you call yourselves professional thieves! What kind of thief takes something that is powering the ship _that their standing in_?"

Wave laughed nervously. "I'm sure we can put it back and-"

"You broke the thing it's supposed to go into! We need to get out of here, now! Or we-are all- gonna die! We can only hope your stupidity didn't ruin Silvers chances of saving the cat!"

Jet was the first to pull out his extreme gear. "Last one out is a rotten Eggman!"

"Wait for us, boss!" cried Storm, and he and Wave zoomed after Jet.

Rouge sighed dejectedly. She doubted she would find what she was looking for anyway. With a look over her shoulder, she wished that Silver would get a happy ending. She spread her wings and flew after the Rogues.

-break-

The Knight parried the Egg Bots fist with an upward thrust, opening its defenses. It kicked the Egg Bot, toppling it over. It leaped back up, but another missile struck it down.

"Curse-zzz- you de-zzz-fective-zzzzz-models," the Egg Bot cried as the 'buttons' on its 'jacket' opened up to reveal machine guns.

Tails gracefully leapt out of the way, spinning Henry around, making him sick, while Omega took the brunt of the bullets, actually being knocked back a bit by the force.

Henry fell to the ground as Tails was hit by a beam, Tails being smacked into a wall. Henry looked up to see an Egg Pawn closing in with a spear. As the spear came down, Henry lifted his cane, and with force unbelievable for a man his age, not only deflected the weapon, but shredded, for cut was not the right word as it fell to pieces, the Pawn in half.

With a single heave of its great sword, the Black Knight sliced the Egg Bot's head off. The machine fell to the ground, oil spilling everywhere. The Knight raised his foot over the decapitated head of the Egg Bot and brought it down. If Eggman ever tried to bring back this handsome devil, the Knight noted to itself, it would have a few bugs in it.

The Knight looked around. Omega, with his cannons, had taken out the rest of the Pawns. And Tails with his… whatever it was he was doing had taken out all the stragglers. The Knight sheathed its sword on its back and picked Henry back up. This was the third distraction. So far, the distractions had been in chronological order. First there were the old ones. Then some spare E-100s. Tails demanded to take care not to hit any animals inside them. Omega seemed to agree with him. Next it ought to be the new models with the Vulcan cannons. What a dishonorable way to kill. Guns were bad enough, but these Vulcan Cannons were despicable.

How strange it was that it, believing nothing of feelings, believed in honor. It almost felt like a suit of armor with the soul of a true knight in it. But, this was silly, for it did not feel. So it 'felt' nothing.

-break-

"Let's see you dodge this!" yelled Eggman from the cockpit of his Egg Wyvern, all the cannons and all the targeting systems pointed at him.

"Silver!" cried Blaze with the most feeling she had used in a long while. After so much time waiting, believing that he had been gone, it now looked as if he was to disappear right before her eyes.

Silver, with the most determined stare he could muster, with the most rage he had ever felt, stared Eggman down.

Silver only had a twenty by twenty meter platform to stand on, but that was all he needed.

"I won't be stopped," said Silver to himself, one fist clenching itself so tightly the rubber threatened to tear, the other holding on to his good luck charm. "I am angry. But I will not be blinded by my hate. I will not let the fire's smoke cloud my vision. I will use my hate to fuel my goal, and my heart-my love-shall be the focus. I know I can do this-"

The Egg Wyvern shot forward. Eggman knew there was no way Silver could attack without something to throw. Eggman knew Silver was not strong enough to grab the Egg Wyvern with sheer force of will. Silver would have to be really lucky to get out of this one.

Unfortunately, Eggman didn't know that Silver was carrying a good luck charm.

-break-

"So, does Death agree?"

_He agrees. I can hardly believe he does. But I guess he doesn't actually think you'll succeed, what with this being the sixteenth time Armageddon has been prevented. He thinks it's about due._

"I won't fail. If Sonic can fight a false god and win then I don't see why I can't."

_I'm a little worried about what's going to happen, honestly. If you don't become Megalo, will you split? You're supposed to, but with the instability of the fabric of space and time, there might be a second you that will become Megalo. What if that spirit is planning on using that? It is in tune with all things inorganic, and could take control. Then there's the possibility that you're idiotic plan won't work in the first place._

"It is a dumb idea, isn't it? Only a ten percent chance that they will all make it safely and an even lesser chance that my hypothesis is correct. But I'm taking that chance. I don't have any better options."

_No, I suppose you don't. Do you think Mephiles knew this would all happen when he told you about the future?_

"Yes… I think he did. But Solaris asked him to fix all the pain he caused. I'm not just saving Henry for Henry. I'm saving Henry for Mephiles. I'm sure he hoped that this is what I would do, that this would be my conclusion. He was one with me, and he knew I would know that he was discreetly asking me to help him to salvation without actually asking me or breaking the rules. And he knew I couldn't say no to a friend in need."

_Well, you hear gunfire. That is my cue to leave and hold together that little patch of reality with all that I can._

"See? I knew you Gods were helping me."

_Yeah, well don't get used to it. We only interfere this much when reality is at stake. All those other times you helped people was on your own. Feel proud for that. We can help, but we cannot do. We cannot bend free will._

"Free will… It's a nice thing."

-break-

Three Mephiles' sliced at the thing, blipping in and out of time, bouncing the thing around. One Mephiles was Amethyst, moving like the true Mephiles would. One Mephiles was topaz, using bursts of energy more than his fists. The last Mephiles was emerald, punching the thing every chance it got.

Vector grabbed the thing by the head with the arm that was not broken, holding it firmly in place with the grip of his Chaos Strength. Shadow advanced, his expression sarcastically numb.

Vector groaned. "I was hoping we wouldn't have to do this," he said, showing that most of the teeth on the sides of his jaws were gone, "But this has got to be the craziest evil dude I have ever met."

The thing, though in great pain, would not stop speaking as though everything were a joke. "What do you expect? I'm made of the evil of all things alive. Why, I wouldn't be surprised it this whole planet wasn't shoved into the Twilight cage-" the thing stopped abruptly as Shadow stabbed it right through where the heart was meant to be.

"Can I kill him now?" asked Shadow as he gave the blade a forceful turn in the things chest.

"Not yet," all three Mephiles' said at once. "Tell us where the Time Stone is, or we'll make it so you won't reincarnate when he kills you."

"Fools! Gah! You're too late! Can you not feel how the air is becoming harder to breath! That is because the world is holding its breath, waiting to die!" the thing cackled.

All three Mephiles shook their heads, and to two that were not amethyst disappeared into portals. "He's as in the dark as we are." He nodded. "Kill him."

Shadow ripped his sword through the thing, and Vector crushed its head.

Mephiles looked around at the green ooze and the metal scrap that lay around them.

"So, you do this stuff all the time, uh?" asked Vector, tossing the silenced thing aside.

"That's about the fifth one that's tried to kill me. The only difference is that this one didn't want my physical form and I didn't pass out from exhaustion since you two were kind enough to loan me your power."

Shadow 'blehed' at the ooze all over his favorite weapon. "I can see how being Solaris's son is a pain. Must be rough."

"Shadow… was that sympathy?"

Vector, despite the pain he was in, gave a laugh. "And me without my camera. I can think of twenty different news stations that would pay big bucks for some of that action."

Shadow ignored the comment. "So, what now?"

"We wait."

"Wait for what?"

"The universe to end. Metal and I have a plan. Let us pray that Solaris is going to help with it."

-break-

Eggman made such a tiny miscalculation. He had believed Sonic was actually going to help him with this as long as Metal was destroyed. But Eggman had forgotten. No matter how much hate Sonic had for someone else, Sonic would always hate him more. How maddening it was to be stopped, in one way or another, be it directly or indirectly, by Sonic the Hedgehog.

This was the last thing he thought before his ejector seat hit some of his ship's debris.

Blaze ran through the crumbling halls of the Egg Carrier, holding Silver in her arms. Silver was too tired to think, his mind overexerted. But Blaze was still strong and still nimble.

With mighty leaps worthy of her cat heritage, she bounded from chunk to chunk of the falling ship, making her way towards the cliff face.

-break-

Henry grabbed the sword that was thrown to him, and struck at the fist aiming for his chest. A blow like that would have crumpled his already weak lungs, likely causing him to cough to death.

It would have had Metal not arrived in that final second.

-break-

"Do you remember me?" asked Blaze after she had caught her breath. Her fine clothes were covered in mud. It looked like it was going to rain.

Silver shook his head, but he was smiling all the same. "I can't remember what never happened. But I don't need to remember to know I care about you." Silver gave a toothy grin, his black eye not bothering him in the slightest. "I guess I'm still as naïve as ever, right?"

Blaze nodded, taking his hand in hers. "Yes," she said as tears started to form. "You are."

-break-

Mephiles was engulfed in flames, but he would not submit to them.

"Iblis!" he called to the flames that surrounded him. "You may search me all you want, but you shall find no cracks in my mind to penetrate. Stop your meaningless goal and speak to me!"

But Iblis would not. Iblis, like Mephiles had when he was released from nothing, began to search. If his own brother would forsake him, than he would be destroyed as well.

"Come to me!" the things voice echoed from the storm outside. "I shall give you the vengeance you so richly deserve!"

The flames left Mephiles, and Shadow and Vector began to pray.

-break-

Henry smiled. Even though his own blade was sent right through him, he was smiling. As he fell over, the Knight destroying the thing that had attacked him, he was smiling. As he hit the ground, Tails frozen in fear, he was smiling.

Metal kneeled next to the fallen warrior, gently pulling the blade from his body.

"I'm sorry" said Metal, his voice filled with pain. "I could provide you with nothing better. Not a solution. Only a different path."

"Thank you," whispered Henry, straining to stay if even for just a little longer. "You know what they say: getting there is half the fun. I might die… but at least I'll die… with honor.

"I leave my sword with you, ex-Sir Metal of the Eggman Empire. May it serve you well. And please… if you get the chance… take this to Elise." Henry shakily held up a golden medallion on a silver chain.

Metal took it between his fingers. "At peace, Sir Henry, Knight of the Kingdom of Soleanna. Your stones have served the Family well. Your Duty is complete."

"No… it's not… but you'll do it just fine. I wouldn't trust…" Henry fell silent.

It began to rain. Metal looked up, the drops splashing on his visor. The water droplets flowed down onto his silver equivalent of a mouth, and rolled down until the dripped off the side of his visor.

At this Metal was happy. Now he could cry. In the rain, he could let the world know he was sad.

And he was sad. He wasn't angry. He was very sad.

-break-

With a snap of the things claws, the universe shattered.

-Author's Notes-

No update's in forever? Check. Lacking any updates on other stories? Check. Trying to write other stories and quitting halfway through? Check. Becoming chroniclly depressed because my lifes sucks? Check. It seems I'm just doing everything to lose my fans.

Have some old Author's Notes.

I can not believe how long this chapter is. Really.

I feel good about this one. Major plot/semi-climax development and some cameo's from the games. The Egg Bot, by the way, is that defective one from "Sonic Chronicles: the Dark Brotherhood".

Yep, Henry turned out to be that knight that was only mentioned once. And you all thought he was that other guy you were thinking of. Shame on you. Can't there be a brown hedgehog with green eyes that hates robots, can run fast, use the Chaos Emeralds, and not be the guy you were thinking of? Seriously. There were clues I bet you guys missed.

Well, the universe is destroyed. And I can tell you, they weren't lucky enough to fall in some pocket of space and time. No, they wound up somewhere in Metal and Sonics distant past. Any guesses?

God Bless

The Conflicted Writer


	31. A Little Trip

**A Little trip to a Little Planet**

It had just sort of happened. They noticed it. They remember that there was chaos everywhere. They remember the fear that had gripped them. But nothing specific. It was as if, when it happened, they were fading. Just when their minds had almost completely disappeared, they had felt something of immense power pull them from the chaos, and throw them here.

Where was here, though?

Mephiles looked around and counted all that were saved. Shadow, Tails, Vector, Silver, Blaze, Knuckles, The Black Knight, and some pink hedgehog. What was she doing here?

Elise was here too. She was crying softly now. No longer did she care about her father's words. She had every reason to cry.

Metal and Henry were there too. Only their bodies, but they were there.

Shadow was the first to speak as he looked at the lush greenery around them. "What happened? Where are we?"

Tails and the Knight ran to Metal's body. Well, they tried. But three feet thick glass stopped them. "Metal!" Tails called to the glass. But his eyes were off. Trapped in the glass, he was stuck in a position of staring at the sky.

The Knight looked at the crying princess, then at its master. It had failed. In both of its directives it had failed. If it was empty before, it was a black hole now. It had failed. It had no master now. It had nothing.

"Don't worry," said Vector as he pulled back a large fist. "I'll get him out."

"Hold it," said Mephiles, and Vector stopped mid swing not of his own will. "That would be foolish. We wouldn't want to destroy this little patch of reality we have left."

"And why would that happen?" asked Vector. "It's just glass."

Mephiles walked up to the glass and tapped it a few times with a finger. He slightly growled. "Metaphors…" he said coldly.

Tails looked up at him. "Uh?"

"Some say that time is like sand in an hour glass, flowing constantly. When sand is heated, you get glass. Metal is frozen in time, and this glass is his metaphorical prison."

Shadow snorted and held up his sword to Mephiles's throat. "All right, bub. You got three minutes to explain what happened, where we are, and what we are going to do about it."

Mephiles sighed through his nose and looked at the unmoving body of Henry, and the princess over it. How he had hurt that man. He remembered, in the darkness of the scepter, crippling him in a way that carried over into a new timeline. Such a scar he had left in his eternal fury.

"That spirit destroyed the universe and all that existed in it. He has absorbed my brother, using what temporal powers he possesses to hold a monstrous form. Taking the Metal from a timeline that should have happened, he created a massive god-like form. He won. But we have yet to lose."

Shadow lowered his sword slowly, his expression taking on the seriousness it had had for so long.

Silver spoke up. "But why didn't we get destroyed, and where are we now? It can't be chance that we ended up here."

Mephiles nodded. "In impossible odds that only a super computer could calculate precisely enough to even have a chance of succeeding to work, Metal found a way using the Time Stone and what secret abilities he had over the universe. He sent us here so that we may fight back. Here is a place of memories for him, one of his earliest memories. Whether or not this is the true place, I am not sure. It could be a virtual memory created by Metal for all I know. But here is a place of time, where time is an open door for anyone willing to use it. This is Little Planet." 

-break-

Sonic had almost forgotten this place even existed. As he stood on the speed way where he had first faced something that could challenge his speed, he was confused. This was how it looked in the past, he noted to himself. Not the so many years ago past, the past past.

Footsteps pulled Sonic from his thoughts. As he turned around, he was irked to find a familiar cloak facing him.

"What do you want?" asked Sonic.

The stranger, in silence, walked next to Sonic, staring out at the speed way. "I warned you of this, didn't I?"

Sonic sighed, looking down at his shoes. "I know this is bad, but I didn't mean for this to happen. I didn't know time was going to explode."

The stranger chuckled to himself. "This is where you and I will settle things. Let us race, right now."

Sonic chuckled this time. "You want to race me? You can't be that powerful."

"Perhaps I am not. But there are prizes that you can't pass up. Win, and I will go away. I shall no longer interfere with yours and Metal's contest. And I will show you my face. Lose, and you must be the one to tell them all who Henry is."

Sonic smirked and flashed his confident grin. "You're on."

-break-

"Little Planet!" Amy exclaimed, hardly believing her ears. This couldn't really be that place, could it?

Mephiles looked at Amy, confused by her outburst. Then it dawned on him. "Ah, yes. You're that girl that Sonic had to rescue from Eggman on his first trip here. Amy, was it?"

Everyone looked at Amy, Tails looking surprised the most. "When did that happen?" asked Tails.

Amy looked thoughtful and nervous. Everyone there, save for the Knight and Elise, was paying all their attention to her. She put a finger to her lips. "It was before we met any of you. Eggman kidnapped me as bait to lure Sonic." She suddenly got a goofy smile. "That was when I first found love with my hero!"

Every turned their attention back to Mephiles suddenly.

"Hey!"

"If I had the last Time Stone, we would have enough power to save Metal and fix time. But I was unable to find it before time collapsed."

"Does that mean" said Knuckles, looking scared for one of the first times Tails could remember, "we're stuck here? We can't go back? Ever?"

Mephiles shook his head. "I didn't sense a Time Stone after that spirit destroyed the fake one. I can only assume that it's in the Special Zone."

They all looked at each other. Seldom did they speak of that place. But they all new what it was. Kind of. Except Silver and Blaze.

"What now?" Silver asked.

"I need currency," said Mephiles as he pulled out some rings and started counting them. "Uhh… I'm short. Anyone have some spare change?"

-break-

The cloaked one, not for a second, believed he was going to win. But that didn't mean he wasn't going to try.

Sonic was coming above him now, leaping over platforms, while the stranger had to run across the ground, taking extra time and force running up and down hills. If the stranger was to say anything nice about Sonic, it would be that he was intelligent when it came to finding the quickest path.

The stranger wrapped himself in a yellow aura, and shot forward, hoping to gain some speed. Sonic had just landed after misjudging a jump, and was right in the cloaked ones path, leading to him getting plowed over.

"Eat my stardust!" he cried. Sonic jumped back up and started running again.

-break-

"This should do it" Mephiles said.

"You owe me" Blaze said as she looked in her purse and counted what was left.

Mephiles looked forward, straight at a rock, using that as his focal point, his door to that place as chaotic and strange as the treasures it hid.

"Are you sure you don't want me to do it?" asked Shadow. "I understand you have… limitations."

"I must do it." said Mephiles as he got in a starting runner position. "It is my duty to Solaris, to the world. Besides, in that realm I have all my power."

While one group made up of Shadow, Silver, Blaze, and Omega was waiting for Mephiles to do what he was about to do, another group made of Elise, Tails, Amy, the Knight, and Knuckles, was mulling over the miseries of the world.

"Why did he bring me here?" Elise asked again, her tears falling on the fallen warriors wounds. "Why would Sir Metal… why would Solaris take me here. I've seen my long lost friend. But he does not see me."

Amy looked sad, but she was unsure what to do. How does one cope with finding someone who they had waited forever for to be gone? Amy hoped never to find out.

Knuckles was, surprisingly, the one to console the princess. He placed a huge mitten on her shoulder. "I'm sorry you lost him. I got to fight along side him for a little while, and in that short while I got to fight with someone with great honor and respect, even if his opponent does not. If there's an afterlife, he's defiantly getting a sweeter deal."

Tails eyes were fixated on Metal. A hatred was now boiling within him. If He was there, then why did he let this happen? Why was there so much suffering in the world, and why didn't He fix it?

The Knight was rooted in the spot, kneeling before his frozen master. Though it looked as though it was mourning, it was contemplating. Holding a shining stone that glowed the many colors of the Rainbow between its claws, it was trying to discover what it should do. It had no master, no objective. But it still had orders.

"_Do what you think is right."_

This was its orders, its core objective. What did it think was right? It had no concept of right and wrong in the emotional sense. But it still thought. It could still think. What did it think was right? Was stopping this thing that threatened his master's friends right? Was consoling the princess right? Was looking for the Time Stone right? These were such hard question to a thing that depended on another to think for it.

Then it decided. Vengeance was right. Punishment was right. It would punish this thing, and it would have vengeance. These were things a knight sought when seeking to reclaim honor. So this is what it will seek. This was right.

Suddenly there was a boom, and they all looked to see Mephiles stuck in a rock.

"Ow…" he stated slowly. Vector walked up and peeled him from the stone. Mephiles was limp in Vectors grasp.

"That wasn't supposed to happen, was it?" asked Vector.

"I don't understand," said Mephiles as Vector put him down and he wobbled a bit. "It should have worked. It worked the other times…"

Omega monotonously answered: "Searching logic programs for solution."

They had all, even if they had known Tails for a little while, never expected him to shout out. They had never expected him to yell out in a mad way, aiming all of his rage at one person in particular. They had never expected such strength.

"There is no logic! There isn't any thing but pain in the world!" Tails stomped up to Mephiles, everyone in his way stepping aside. "Don't you get it? This is all a game that Solaris, or whatever His name is, is putting us through! We don't get to enjoy anything, and He, your God, doesn't do anything about it." With force Mephiles was not expecting, Tails socked Mephiles in the gut, getting a loud and satisfying 'oommf' out of him. Mephiles bent over, clutching himself and moaning. Tails looked about ready to cry, then flew off in some random direction.

Amy looked after him, feeling sorry for him. She ran as fast as she could after him, calling, "Wait, Tails!"

Shadow looked astonished. "Didn't know the kid had it in him."

Mephiles stood back up, trying to look like he was fine. "I need to go after him." He started walking, going past everyone there.

"Wait a minute," said Knuckles as Mephiles walked pass. "What about, you know, the destroyed universe?"

Mephiles's eyes wandered to the glass that Metal was still trapped in, and where Henry's body still lay. Elise had stopped shedding her tears, and now she simply held the body's hand.

Wait.

Where was the Black Knight?

-break-

The Black Knight was no longer Black. Now, it was Golden. Bathed in Chaos. Its sword had changed from its fiery red to a shimmering white. It was now made of pure power. It was only in this state that the Golden Knight could exist in this madness.

This madness. This was what was left. An eternal storm that rained, blew, and thundered in all directions. Even up and down. It was not afraid. It was not angry. It felt nothing like that.

But as it looked at what was before him, it thought. It thought. It thought anger. It thought fear. It thought pity.

Before it, an even worse it was. It was the Golden Knight's master, made into what he was before, but worse. Its master was now white hot, made this way from the flames that coursed through him. Its master was now just arms and a head, the head contorted into a look of such rage, it could almost not be believed. On its master was the thing responsible for doing this to its master, melded and melted there, like some horrible welt. Now, the thing was made of more metal than flesh, and it was now spikes. Lots and lots of spikes. It mocked the Knight. It mocked its master. Now the thing would pay. The thing would now know fear.

But the Knight knew it would not be the one to do it, to show this thing pain. All it had to do is get that flame. The Knight, who believed in honor, knew whose fight this was. It was not its fight. It was its master's, the time spirit's, and the time creature's fight.

The thing, though it was laughing, was displeased, yet at the same time fascinated. "A thing," the thing said, its voice echoing in the endless chaos, "that can oppose me, the symbol of all things unnatural. How amusing. How irritating. I think you shan't exist in my kingdom of the unnatural. But I simply must know before I send you to oblivion: how are you opposing my will?"

The Golden Knight raised its sword and did not answer. Not that it could. But that answer did not matter.

-brea-

Tails had stopped flying about three minutes ago. In the three minutes since, his being deteriorated. That little boy, or what was left of a little boy, was going away. And it was leaving behind a cold, empty person.

"Tails!" Amy called, as she finally caught up with him.

"Go away…" Tails whispered, though Amy didn't seem to hear.

"Tails, what's wrong?" she asked as she kneeled down next to the sobbing child.

"I don't believe in life anymore," Tails whispered, his pain ever so evident. "That person… Mephiles… he proved that there's no reason. That no matter what I do…" Tails clenched his teeth, baring fangs he had never barred before, "No matter how 'right' I am, I won't get happiness. He… He won't do a thing." Tails sagged.

Amy looked skeptical, yet still worried. "Tails, I don't believe that. Maybe He has a reason for all this. But I know He knows what He's doing."

A laugh pervaded this seen. Not a chuckle. Not an insane jester's calling card. A laugh. Simple and true.

"And why should Tails believe that?" asked Mephiles, who still clutched his wound. "I'm not one who would say He is perfect. In fact, I'd be the last. Imagine that. One of His closest children does not believe Him to be perfect."

Amy looked downright mad. "Where do you get off? Are you trying to poison his little mind?"

"Ah, but this is your mistake. A mistake that almost all who know him have made. He does not have a little mind. He is not a child. Tails never got to be one. He had to grow up. He is too mature. He knows things that a twelve year old should not know. For this reason, He would like to apologize." Mephiles walked pass the angry hedgehog, and kneeled next to Tails, looking off into the distance where Tails would look down. "I do not believe in Him either. And for good reason. He was the one who set the circumstances for me being turned mad. I am Dark. I always will be. No matter how hard I try, I will always be Dark. I shall always, somewhere deep in my soul, enjoy others misery, their pain, their torment. But only to those that deserve it. Seeing you, like this, seeing a boy forced to be a man, forced to… kill… it breaks me. You, other than Shadow, are the only person I've ever felt sorry for."

Tails still cried softly as he spoke. "Why, though? Why doesn't He do everything and make it the way it's supposed to be? Why is there so much suffering? Why do they say He's perfect when the world he created is not?"

Mephiles looked off to the side, his gaze, though unwavering, stared at nothing. "The answer to your question is the same as the answer to this question, though no one can answer it in a just few words: can God create something so heavy, He Himself can not lift it?"

Tails eyes widened, and his gaze left the ground to stare at Mephiles, who stared at the falling light, which must have been the sun of this strange place.

"In all your logic, there is no answer. But at this moment in time you must let go of logic, and all will make sense. He can not do everything, as this question implies, but at the same time He can. It is a perpetual paradox: it is the basis of our universe.

"In the past, all is stone. Here is where you shall find nothing but Order. You shall find a straight line.

"In the future, all is as random as the moving sand in a storm. Here, you shall find Chaos. You shall find many paths to walk.

"In the present, we find ourselves, little pebbles in all the Chaos and Order. But these pebbles… they are heavy. Each one individually is nothing. But together, they are strong. They make something so heavy, He can not move it. And yet He created them. He made the perfect world, and in turn, he created imperfection. Like day and night, hot and cold, left and right, and right and wrong, one can not exist with out the other. And he has done something to himself. He is stuck under that mighty weight, and can not move. Some have said He is all around us. Maybe this is true. For the infinity he has created can not exist without Him, and He can not exist without the infinity. He is trapped within his own boundaries, unable to move without destroying his precious work. He has made it so that fire burns, and it will always be that way. Were it anything else the universe would not be the universe. We control Him as much as He controls us. He can not bend the will of someone insane just because a single stone shall be moved out of place. Doing so would cause all the other little pebbles to fall. He does not know the future-the Chaos-any more than we do. All He knows is the many paths it can take.

"Or perhaps I'm just talking snot. Who really knows? Not me. And as long as I can feel, I don't care. You can feel. You shouldn't care either.

"I'm sorry for what has happened to you. I'm sorry that it can not be undone. I'm sorry I can do nothing more than say I'm sorry. But that is the universe. It is life. And it would not be life without death. I can not let such a strong resilient pebble lose its luster. Not like this. Metal told me about you in my time spent with him. He always said, word for word: 'I've always wanted to smile. Ever since the first time I noticed him do it. The way he smiled was so much different than Sonic's. He would smile and mean it. Despite all that's happened to him, he would smile. When I become real, I hope I can be just like him, just as strong.'" Mephiles turned his head back to Tails

Tails smiled. Yes. Tails smiled. And Mephiles knew Metal had not an opinion, but a fact about this boy. When Tails smiled, he meant it. He told the truth when he smiled.

"Now then," said Mephiles as he got back up, "I need some help. You're the only person around here who knows quantum physics or whatever it's called and I'm going to need another Time Stone if we're going to save the universe."

Tails got up with him and started walking. Mephiles paused next to Amy, bent down, and scooped up some dirt and gave it a squeeze.

"Do you remember how when Sonic made a robot blow up, a flower would appear?"

Amy sighed, and looked down. "Yes," she said, as though she wanted those flowers to be for her.

Mephiles opened his palm, and a rose, as black as midnight and the hedgehog that held it, appeared. "You've got some powerful resilience as well. It's too bad it's wasted on such an ungrateful soul."

Amy took the black rose from Mephiles, her eyes wide. Mephiles's cheeks bent and creased as if he were smiling.

Then he felt a hammer on his face.

"Don't you ever talk about my Sonic that way again!" and she walked off, steaming.

Mephiles stood back up, holding his now pounding head. "Damn… well… it was worth it." And he fell over.

-break-

The stranger had lost. Sonic had won.

Just as they both wanted. Though one was to regret it in a moment.

"Alright, buddy, I won. So, you're gonna tell me who you are and why your interfering. And how much you actually know," mocked Sonic after a little victory pose.

The cloaked one was panting, hands and knees to the ground. He looked up, and spoke. Though he sounded out of breath, he did not sound tired and defeated, like Sonic was used to hearing from a fallen foe.

"You have won, Sonic. But… was it worth it?" Sonic could have sworn he saw a smile in the darkness of the stranger's hood.

"Of course it was worth it! I just beat you to the ground. Why wouldn't it be worth it?"

"Because…" the stranger reached up, still on his knees, for his hood with his metallic hands and griped the sides, and slowly pulled back.

And with every inch the hood fell, Sonic felt a little more of his sanity leave.

Sonic took a step back, his eyes becoming bloodshot, staring at the hedgehog before him. "No… this… your- this isn't happening!" Sonic gripped his skull and blinked furiously, trying to rid his vision of the specter that was now plaguing him.

The stranger smiled, showing perfectly white teeth, and looked in Sonic's eyes with his own emerald green ones. The stranger stood up, his quills bouncing when he stood at full height. The same height as Sonic.

"It isn't happening," the stranger said, his voice no longer disguised by whatever force was hiding it. "You are very right. It's already happened." The stranger, still in the cloak, stepped closer to Sonic.

"But-but you're me!"

"No," the stranger hissed, and his eyes widened. In an instant that was too fast for Sonic to notice-or perhaps he was too… distraught to notice-the Stardust Speedway changed. The speedway itself rusted to dull chalky green, the sky changed from a starry night to clouds of red that blotted out any light of any kind, and far, far below them it changed from a sparkling empty city, to a horrid, fiery pit. "You are me. I am not you." In a blink, the stranger grabbed Sonic by the throat and hoisted him up, choking him.

"Please," Sonic begged in a whisper. "It wasn't my fault… I was young… I didn't know what would happen…"

"If that was the case," said the stranger, "why doesn't anybody know about it? If you were not at fault, why do you feel such guilt?" The stranger tightened his grip around Sonic's throat. "Why doesn't anybody know about me?"

Sonic was quiet. Not because he was choking, but because he didn't have anything to say.

"You may have forgotten me from time to time," the stranger said gently, which did not cooperate with his death grip, "but I have never forgotten you. After all, as I'm sure you know, one does not forget his look-alike."

Sonic stopped struggling and fell limp. The stranger snorted and dropped him. "Unfortunately, today is not the day I return," the stranger said, sounding disgusted. "For, there is no true today, and somebody needs to fix that."

Sonic lay on the ground, still awake, still at full strength, but his mind would not let him move. That specter could not be there. Not unless…

Figure .09. It was a lot stronger than he realized.

"Here." A rock hit Sonic's head. He looked up, and beheld a shining purple stone that was lying near him. "This is your greatest prize for beating me here and now. Take this to the present. Mephiles and the rest of the universe need it."

Sonic stood back up, and watched as the stranger started to walk away. "How are you here?" said Sonic so quietly he fretted that he didn't hear him.

But he must have, for he answered: "That is not a prize you have earned this day." The stranger turned his head to face Sonic, his smile, as natural as could be, showing. "I know I said I would not interfere with your contest anymore-for that is all life is to you, a contest-but that doesn't mean someone else can't drag me in. And you know perfectly well who that someone is." The stranger turned his head away and continued to walk down the speedway, slowly fading from Sonic's view.

Sonic gripped the Time Stone and panted feverishly. He started to run, his feet moving in a figure eight pattern that he felt only he noticed. He knew what he had to do. That didn't mean that he liked it. Not in the slightest.

-break-

A fierce wind blew, and the next thing Tails knew, all of his advanced equations that he had written in the ground were swept away. Everyone covered themselves as this wind swept by, save for Omega, who had not felt it, and Elise, who shielded Henry's body.

Tails, however, remembered this wind. He had recognized it for he was right behind this wind a lot of the time. He hurriedly looked up, ignoring the dirt that hit his face, trying to make out his friend in the chaos. But as quickly as it had come, the wind left. Everyone looked around. The air was still and silent, as if it had never come.

Tails looked at where the formula he had been coming up with was, and gasped. He reached down, and smiled. Now he knew what that wind was. Now he knew what had to be done.

Now he knew his friend was still his friend.

Tails stood up and gave Mephiles the stone that had been in front of him. Mephiles, looking not the least bit surprised, held it up and everyone stared. No words were spoken. No questions were asked.

-break-

The Golden Knight was hit by a burning ball of hot metal, and the monstrous thing swatted at it and sent it flying. The Golden Knight shook it off, and shot forward. It rammed the monstrous thing between the giant glass eyes, and it screeched in the most foul, un-alive way imaginable. The Golden Knight, ignoring the laws of gravity for there were no laws to uphold in this chaos, stuck its shining sword between the monstrous things eyes. Again, the monstrous thing screeched. Fire spilt from the crack made in the monstrous things lenses. The Golden Knight reached for these flames, fighting the push the thing made against it.

What was this? There was a horrid coldness. What was happening? Despite being made of light, Iblis was blinded bound in this thing's darkness. Iblis was afraid. He was not afraid to admit it. Perhaps Iblis had been too hasty in rejecting his brother. Perhaps he should have waited. But he was so angry; he had been trapped for so long. Now, he was trapped again. This darkness… it was nothing like his brother. How he wished the shadow he knew was there, if not to comfort him, at least be there to talk to.

Something was reaching for him! Iblis felt joy. Something was trying to rescue him! Could it perhaps be the darkness he had known for only a short while?

'_No!_' the thing yelled ethereally, its voice echoing through the chaos. '_I've worked too hard to be stopped by some lifeless armor!_' The thing shot a bolt of lighting at the Golden Knight and knocked it off. The Golden Knight did not shake it off this time.

That glowing rainbow stone… it dropped it. The only thing holding it together in this chaos…

The Black Knight was shredded in an instant. Be it by claws or chaos, it will never know.

-break-

Mephiles placed seven shining stones around the glass that had trapped Metal, like in a ritual to summon a spirit. Tails stood on Mephiles's right, and to his left was Knuckles. Everyone else had gathered around, ready to watch this spectacle take place. Mephiles placed both of his hands out in front of him, and willed every ounce of what power he had into the stones. The seven Time Stones glittered, and from them shot beams of light, amplified through Metal's container, highlighting the robot within.

Mephiles put his arms down. "Tails," he said casually while motioning the fox to his right. Tails got on his knees and held his hands together. He wished for Metal to come back.

He hoped.

"Knuckles?" Knuckles walked forward to the glass, and started to pound the prison. He used all his might, all of his physical being.

He did.

The glass began to crack. And then it shattered, sending sparkling shards everywhere. Metal fell forward and Knuckles caught him. Metal's eyes shined weakly in comparison to the light of the Time Stones, but shined they did. Tails smiled, and was about to run up and hug him, but Mephiles stepped forward first.

"Well, someone didn't feel like listening to me." Mephiles said as his entire form turned black.

Knuckles stood Metal up, then stepped back out of the circle of time. Metal became black, white, and gray, loosing all of his color. "Aren't you glad I didn't?" Metal said, his voice echoing.

Mephiles melted, and in a dazzling swirl surrounded Metal, wrapping around him, wrapping him in black.

'It's funny,' Metal called. 'In some other time, we were going to do this. Except I was still working for Eggman, and we had one other participant."

'He shall join us soon,' Mephiles called, tightly wrapping around Metal, becoming his skin. Their eyes, the eyes they now shared, turned on, glowing an ethereal green. 'He shall join us in more ways than one.'

Metal, now wrapped in black, standing in a circle of time, looked at each of their friends individually. Knuckles grinned. Vector gave them a thumbs up. Silver nodded. Blaze smiled earnestly. Elise tried her best to do the same. Shadow also nodded, throwing in an even softer look than he had adapted over time. Tails did a combination of most of those things. Omega looked indifferent.

'Before we forget,' both Mephiles and Metal said in unison, though not perfectly, 'this is for you, Elise'. The Wrapped in Black presented to the princess a shining gold medallion hanging on a silver chain. Elise gasped.

"My mothers necklace!" she exclaimed. She gently took it, the look in eyes showing she hardly believed it.

'Henry could not bring it in life,' the Wrapped in Black said, 'but he sends his deepest apologies that he did not have it sooner. He could not find the right Metal, so to speak.'

Elsie smiled, for real this time, and the Wrapped in Black stepped back. 'Wish me luck. I'm about to become a false god… again.' And the Wrapped in Black shot into the sky, leaving a trail of purple light behind him, the circle of time coming with him. All his friends looked up, sending their hopes with him.

After a short silence, Knuckles spoke up. "Who wants to play charades while we wait?"

-Author's Note-

(Warning: really long and really old rant ahead. This rant is old and applies to a few years ago, but I think it's relavent for future chapters.)

You know, I love Sonic, but there are some serious flaws I noticed the other day while playing Sonic Chronicles and noticing its similarities with the comic books. First, why would anyone call the swatbots 'old models' unless they were actually used in old games? If it had been the enemies from the actual green hill zone, that would have been fine. But Swatbots as old models? Come on. And then there's a really discreet thing I noticed only because I'm picky when it comes to story. After you have all seven emeralds, they are displayed on your file select screen. However, there a serious color problem. One of them is pink. One is orange. There is only light blue, no blue. There is no purple. You would only really notice on the main screen, but that seems like a pretty big flaw.

Then I played Sonic Unleashed. It was the most fun I've had with a Sonic game since Sonic the Hedgehog two. There are two little complaints I have, though. The night-to-day ratio is really out of whack. And second...

_Items._

I'm a completionist, but it took me a while to find out there are levels that can only be unlocked by finding special keys. To add insult to injury, two missions can only be found by finding EVERY STINKIN ITEM. And that wouldn't be so bad, because werehog levels are plat forming so you're expected to stop and think, but speed stages... how was I supposed to know that an item was behind those boxes after that u-turn? I had to break my taboo of not using the internet for cheating, and am currently on a long and tedious quest for each item _one at a time._

Anyway, I read my first Sonic the Comic the other day. I must say, it is really well written, yet still simplistic enough that I can understand what's happening with a basic knowledge of what's been going on. I don't know how many of you read that, but the most recent issue of a particular series has Sonic and Amy stopping Scourge and Rosie (anti-Sonic and anti-Amy) from taking over Mobius and Moebius. Scourge is so evil, even the evil Tails and Knuckles hate him. How weird is that? But Rosie doesn't really care... she just likes breaking people's faces with her very metal, very pointy hammer. And watching their brains spill. And eating them.

And then there was Sonic's dad who was a robot, and Shadow being badass, and Silver trying to destroy Sonic (it had a lot better of a plot then 06) and Metal Sonic had some improvements, and for some reason, a robin hood-ed hedgehog was there. Who uses real arrows anymore?

Well, I'm probably boring you real Sonic fans who already know this stuff. The next chapter... I'm not holding a lot of hope out for that one. It'll be a titanic fight to save the universe, but considering the fact that the story is only half over, it won't be the most dramatic. Please don't be disappointed in me when there's a lot of spiritual filler.

Sincerely,

The Conflicted Writer


	32. Wrapped in Black Covered in Light

**Wrapped in Black; Covered in Light**

The Wrapped in Black was a thing that defied logic. It was, first off, a robot. Second, it was a spirit. How could something be two things that were not alive?

Why should anyone care?

Why should a father care if their child escaped the brink of death, and he had no idea why?

The spirit half of the Wrapped in Black cared.

The robot half of the Wrapped in Black cared.

One cared because, like a father and doctor, he wanted to know not because they wanted it for themselves, but because knowing gave them the power to do it again.

The other cared because, like the wise man of old who knew of the simple pleasures, he understood with power comes corruption.

Take the horrendous thing before them. It was a massive clump of white hot Metal, in more ways than one. It was basically a head, arms, and rage. Upon this thing's forehead was the thing that had unleashed this chaos, this endless storm within time.

'Eeearggh' the thing groaned, its voice echoing in the chaos. 'First that pathetic knight opposes me, and now you?' the horrendous thing raised a huge metal hand back, taking aim. The thing growled, 'I shall have my world, none shall stop me!" This thing was the manifestation of every sin imaginable. There is not a metaphor for this situation, as it is the ultimate in this irony that the Wrapped in Black had to face his brother, himself, and the corruption that plagued him all at the same time.

The Wrapped in Black 'flew' through the… there is no air to describe.

Regardless, the Wrapped in Black dodged the claw swipe. 'Is that all?' they asked, raising their sword above them. 'Hardly what I was expecting,' lightning started coursing the blade as if it were a conductor and the seven lights that surrounded them glowed, 'From one false god to another, let us show you a god-like attack.' A dazzling bolt of lightning shot forth from the tip of the sword and shocked the monstrous thing. The monstrous thing, however, seemed not to notice, and in its hand formed a ball of pure power. It threw this, and several more at the Wrapped in Black. They dodged the first blast, but second one found its mark, as did the third after it. The thing was to take no chances, and it reached out to grab the Wrapped in Black. Just as its claws closed around them, they disappeared in smoke.

The thing looked around. There was no where to hide in this infinite chaos. Where had they come from anyway? There was nothing left. And were those the Chaos Emeralds? They should have been absorbed by the universe when it blew up. But, they never did as they where told.

The Wrapped in Black suddenly charged right at the monstrous thing's fore head and stuck the sword into it, missing the thing on it. With amazing force, they dented and cracked the monstrous thing, their hands melting against the white hot metal. The thing tight next to them smiled viciously. 'You are a fool! Or is it fools? Whatever. You shall be destroyed before you make a dent big enough to pull Iblis free! And- how are you not already dead!"

The Wrapped in Black formed a dark ball in a free hand and aimed, not at the thing, but lower. The thing's gaze followed, and the thing felt rage. The sword- the sword the Knight had used- it was still there. It was still bathed in chaos. Flames were still leaking out of the crack. The thing turned its head back to the Wrapped in Black to be met with that blast it had believed meant for the crack. The thing grabbed its eyes and howled in pain.

Pain?

It felt… pain?

The Wrapped in Black pulled their sword free and moved to the other one. They grabbed the white sword just as a gush of force blew them back. They held with one hand to the sword and used the other to reach out grabbing at the flames, them reaching out for their hand.

If Iblis had a face, he would smile. It was the shadow. The shadow that he followed, and should have always followed. But what was that other one. He was… big. Iblis could scarcely grasp the immense size of the other one. But they were both reaching out to him. He must know the shadow. They must be friends.

'Can't quite reach. Suggestions?'

'_What happened to the Knight?'_

'I'm afraid he dropped the stone I entrusted with him. He would have been mincemeat in this madness.'

'_The stone… would that work?'_

'We're going to have to do some things ahead of schedule, then. Rev up those Stones. I need some ground to walk on.'

The Wrapped in Black faded into darkness as a monstrous claw grabbed at them, reappearing far away. The Time Stones circled around them, and the Wrapped in Black curled as if storing power.

The thing felt its face. Pain. Here? How could this be? There was nothing but chaos. There were no laws. There were no rules. Pain could not be here… could it?

Did it not want to create pain?

There was a blinding flash, and the thing looked down. Now, there was a down. While a storm still raged above, below there was a town. The monstrous thing roared. The thing stared, its metallic face clearly showing madness.

This could not be! There was no where to put the town! How did they bring it back?

"How!" the thing _cried_. There was now air for its voice to echo through. "How did you pull this place from _nothing_! There is nothing but chaos here, nothing but destruction! How can you _create_?"

The Wrapped in Black hovered in front of the monstrous thing, far from its swing. They held their sword in a battle ready position, poised to defend themselves. 'You are the fool here, spirit,' their voices resonated. 'There are some things you have looked over, some things that you have forgotten. How could you 'create' a world of destruction, if there is nothing to destroy after you've destroyed everything?'

The thing smiled deviously. "That does not answer my question. But why should it matter? I'll still destroy you." The monstrous thing spread its arms wide, and lightning formed around it. With a mighty clap, the sparks of light went straight for the Wrapped in Black.

The Wrapped in Black raised their hand in a sign for stop, and the lightning did that. It stopped in front of them, moving like a trapped spider would 'The second thing you have forgotten: if there is no order here, then how can there be chaos? What is chaos to mess up if there is no order to mess up? The answer:' the Wrapped in Black flicked their hand, and the lightning flew back to the monstrous thing. 'that situation does not exist.'

The lightning did not miss, but the monstrous thing did not flinch. The sparks flew around it, and with a roar, the sparks disappeared. The thing shook its head. "A small mistake, to be sure" the thing said insanely, as if anticipating something. "That-and you-will not get in my way!"

'But I can control that chaos. I can find that small spark of order, and order chaos. I can control it. In exchange, the chaos controls me.' The Wrapped in Black saw something shine out of the corner of their visor up in the storm. Using binocular vision, they closed in their view on it, and they smiled inwardly. As they had hoped. Gravity had taken effect.

The Wrapped in Black ignited their booster, and in a flash of purple light, they blasted off to the desert, the rain and wind pounding them still. The monstrous thing followed as close behind as it could.

The Wrapped in Black flew along the ground, trying to gain as much time as they could. They sensed an impending doom, and turned just in time to slice a meteor in half. The monstrous thing was above them. "Hold still!" the thing called. "This will only hurt for a second!"

The Wrapped in Black side stepped a giant claw, rolling out of the way and heading straight for the desert.

The monstrous thing's hands glowed a fierce white, and it rapidly started clawing at the ground, shredding it and heading for the Wrapped in Black. The ground it shredded turned to clouds and floated into the chaos above them. All their speeds were constant, but the Wrapped in Black would not be able to stop and catch what they needed to catch if this kept up.

Then the clouds… the chaos… it reformed. From the chaos came a giant claw-like hand, shifting and contorting, sparking with power. The chaos hand reached out and grabbed the monstrous thing, holding it firmly in place. The monstrous thing howled, the thing cried out in rage.

The Wrapped in Black-_thought_-something.

Go.

It was not a notion, not a feeling. It was a thought. This was thought to them.

The Wrapped in Black flew over the sand. The shine of light was coming close to the sand. There was no time to stop.

'_Do we have to?'_

'Yes. Can you think faster than the speed of light?'

'_It just really makes my head hurt.'_

'Suck it up.'

The Wrapped in Black's glowing irises raised a notch in brightness, and, for Metal and for no one else, time crawled to a snails pace. He reached out their hand, positioning it in just the right way. He moved their body, adjusted for wind ratio, and many other complicated things to align themselves perfectly.

There was one thing Metal very much enjoyed. This was the idea of math. The ultimate order. To him, math has always existed. Math was not created; it was discovered. The formulas, the variables, and the equations- they have always been there. Even when it had not been discovered, there were still five dinosaurs drinking at that pool of water. It was order. The only order in all the chaos around him. As long as two plus two equaled four, he would always-not be sure-but always have hope. He would plan things as perfectly as could be, be the best he can be.

It all followed a specific order. It was his order. It was his control.

The rainbow stone fell perfectly in their hand, and Metal left his focus thought, again becoming Wrapped in Black.

The monstrous thing clawed through the chaotic hand and ripped it away. The monstrous thing turned, and the thing on its forehead curled its hands. The monstrous thing charged at the Wrapped in Black.

The Wrapped in Black held up its sword, coated with a multi-colored light, the rainbow stone in its hilt. They only had a second to appreciate their fine weapon before they noticed the monstrous thing charging at them while meteors flew around it. It grabbed meteors from the air and flung them with its own hands at the Wrapped in Black.

The Wrapped in Black floated over the sand, holding their blade as if to strike the monstrous thing in half. As the meteors approached, the Wrapped in Black gave a mighty swing, sending a shockwave of pure power through the projectiles. The thing's eyes widened. The monstrous thing's head was hit with the wave, and the sound of an earthquake reached through the chaos. The Wrapped in Black was thrown back by the wave of sound into a stone pillar. The Time Stones circling them shined even brighter.

The monstrous thing did not roar. It grabbed at the crack in its skull, whimpering at it as if in pain, as if hoping this would end.

The thing smiled. It always did that. Even though it was… angry, to say the least. "How is it that I am losing? I have a false god under my thumb. I control a god. This is not possible," the thing said with eerie calm.

The Wrapped in Black stood up holding an arm. Literally. It had fallen off. He tossed it aside and pulled their sword out with their still good hand. 'Someone once said those who claim to control the gods are in fact controlled themselves. Perhaps this has become of you, spirit.'

"Then someone needs a kick in the pants." The thing raised its metallic hands above him, sand and fire whirling around the thing.

The Wrapped in Black raised their sword, sand and darkness moving around the rainbow blade in a chaotic manner.

-break-

"Three words?"

"No, I think its four."

"I can't tell, he's wearing… are they rubber mittens?"

"Does reading his mind count as cheating?"

"Yes."

"Nuts."

"That's it!" Shadow yelled as he suddenly turned a glowing red, and a shockwave was sent through the air. "I can't take it anymore. We're just going to sit here and wait? How did you put up with it when me and Sonic fought the prototype!"

Everyone took a step back from the enraged hedgehog. Knuckles had stopped moving in a rowboat like fashion, and they all stared.

"Uh-" started Knuckles, before Shadow yelled again.

" 'Uh' what?"

"How are we supposed to do anything?" said Knuckles calmly, standing up and jabbing Shadow's ribs with his spikes. "We are here and they are in a destroyed universe."

"A destroyed universe is still a universe." Shadow pulled out the green Emerald, and the red field around him diminished. "I don't know about you, but I'm not just going to do nothing while someone else is off possibly getting their butts kicked."

Tails spoke up, and innocently asked, "What about when the world broke into pieces?"

Shadow paused. "… I was busy. Now, are any of you coming, or do I have to do it solo like always?"

Knuckles sighed. "How do you know the Emerald will protect you?"

Vector pulled out the white Emerald that had been entrusted with him. "Aww, come on boss, don't tell me you already forgot what these things can do?"

Knuckles looked at his old employee and grinned. "Care to spot me, Vector?"

Vector tossed his Emerald, and Knuckles caught it with one huge hand. "I expect interest," he said sarcastically.

"And you'll never get it."

Shadow huffed. "Anyone else?"

Silver pulled out his lucky charm, taking a good look at it with his golden eyes.

Blaze looked worried, but she still put a hand on his shoulder. "I know you." She said simply. "You want to help too. I won't stop you."

Silver looked confused. Didn't she want him safe? Didn't she care what happened to him?

"I know what might happen," Blaze said, closing her eyes. "But I know it must be done. Just don't do anything too stupid."

Silver smiled and nodded. "I promise. But you said too stupid. I can still do stupid stuff."

"In that case," she said as she pulled out a shining purple stone, "I'll have to keep an eye on you."

Shadow whistled. "Are we ready here?" Knuckles, Silver, and Blaze nodded and gathered around.

"Good luck, comrade Shadow," said then monotonous Omega.

"Good luck to you," said Elise, bowing to the heroes before her.

Amy was staring of to who knew where, clearly not paying attention to anything around.

"Ready?" asked Shadow, and the other three nodded. "Keep a firm grip on your Emeralds. Drop them, and the corrupted space and time might devour you.

"Chaos-"

-break-

The Wrapped in Black's was pushed back by a torrent of sand and flames with their sword. The Stones that circled them protected them as best as they could, but it seemed only just enough to push back time. Or perhaps the Wrapped in Black had grown tired, had grown unable to think clearly. They were using all their power to hold this strange reality together, fight this monstrous thing, and defend themselves. It was straining.

"Humbled you shall be," the thing said as its beast advanced. "There is no way you can win. I am as old as time. To me, you're lives-if you can call them that-are a blink. It is as a candle to blow out, though I must admit you were hard. But we are done here."

"-Control!"

The thing turned its head to where the shout had come from, and saw four beings standing within range of the monstrous things claws. Without thinking, the thing had a giant hand swipe at them.

"Scatter!" Shadow cried, and they all leaped in different directions. Knuckles started running to a nearby tower, intending to get some extra height for a quick glide. Blaze ran to the Wrapped in Black, moving at an extremely fast pace, and pulled him from the torrent and led them away, the Stones a ways behind them. Silver, using his enhanced psycho-kinesis, grabbed at one of the hands, straining to hold it in place. Shadow started zooming around the monstrous thing, firing Chaos Spears in an attempt to do some damage. That attempt failed.

Blaze pulled the Wrapped in Black aside behind an alley. The second she did, they fell over.

"What's going on?" she asked, keeping as calm as she could be.

'I got him on the ropes,' the Wrapped in Black said, and their other arm fell off.

"Yeah, sure."

'Really! I've almost got him. It's just a scratch.'

"You haven't got any arms left! What are you going to do, kick him?"

There was a large explosion, and Silver was thrown in front of them, the tips of his quill style blackened with ash.

"Okay," he said, getting up. "That hurt."

"I could use some help over here!" Silver turned his head back at the monstrous thing, which had grabbed Shadow. The Emerald in Shadow's hand was losing its shine as if all of its power were being used to stop Shadow from deteriorating.

Knuckles suddenly drill dived from above and struck the giant hand, causing it to let go of Shadow. Shadow ignited his hover boots and blasted back, singeing the colossal hand with the chaotic flames.

Blaze scrunched her brows and looked at the Wrapped in Black. "Tell me how we can help."

'Fine. Ruin the drama, why don't you? See the sword stuck between my… that things eyes?' the Wrapped in Black motioned with their head to the thing. Blaze nodded. 'Get the sword and Iblis will cling to the blade. Bring me Iblis and we can fix everything.'

"Wait, you're doing _that_? How do you know you won't be corrupted from the power?"

'Because, while I,' said Mephiles's voice, 'am the mental force and Iblis is the power-'

'I,' said Metal's voice, 'am the extreme focus. We will not loose sight of our objective.'

Blaze looked worried. "I hope you're right." She turned and started running.

'You ever wonder how she runs in high heels?'

'Mephiles, I stopped wondering these things when the Chaotix made my brain explode by playing music. And it wasn't because it was on a high frequency.'

Silver lifted Knuckles up with his power and tossed him like an arrow. The thing chuckled. "I do believe insects are buzzing in my ear. I hear failed attempts at annoying me. I shall fix that." The monstrous thing swatted at Knuckles, knocking him hard to the ground.

"Ha, ha, ha, this is more like it. Fools completely at my mercy. It is unfortunate for you that I have no mercy." Knuckles stood back up and he glowed a fierce red.

"I'll show you insect," he whispered angrily. He hit the ground rapidly, and below him lava started to pool. With each punch, a ball of lava was thrown into the air, straight at the monstrous thing. However, the magma simply slid off and dripped.

"He's already made of flames!" called Silver.

Blaze ran pass them at super speed and leaped up, spinning in a dance like fashion, flames circling her.

Didn't she just hear him? What was she doing?

Knuckles was climbing the tower again. He saw what Blaze was going for. He only hoped Shadow and Silver would notice too.

The monstrous thing formed magma in its hand and prepared to throw it at Blaze, who was closing in. Shadow cried, "Chaos Control!" and a most interesting thing happened. The usual did not happen when Shadow called those words. In an instant, Shadow was gone. But he did not reappear, like he had intended. Shadow felt his mind melt. He could see _everything_. In minute detail, he saw the monstrous thing. He saw what was going to happen and what could happen. He saw that Knuckles was about to jump. He saw that Silver was trying and failing to restrain the hand in time.

But Shadow was in pain. There was too much. Too much information passing through his limited mind. He was loosing himself to the chaos he had tried to control. Why now? Why here? Was this it? Was this how the Ultimate Life Form was to meet his fate? By the very power he had controlled for so long.

No.

It was a thought, coherent and clear. In his pain, Shadow was assured of this. Some thought, not his own, entered his mind and focused him.

A hand, not claw like, made of the everlasting storm above them formed, and reached out, grabbing the monstrous things arm. The thing was paused, taken completely by surprise, and was looking the other way when it was kicked hard in the face by a high heel.

'Cool,' said the Wrapped in Black.

Blaze landed on top of the monstrous thing's head, than lightly jumped, grabbing at the sword between its eyes.

Knuckles glided through the air and rain, being slowed down by the water soaking his dreadlocks. Silver noticed his decent, and sent a pulse of energy upwards at him, giving him some extra lift. Knuckles lost his balance for a second, but quickly got it back and closed in.

The hand made of chaos dissipated, and Shadow reappeared beneath the madness. "What happened?" he said woozily as he tipped slightly.

Blaze pulled at the sword with all her might, but despite there being a large crack and that it wiggled it stood fast and would not come free. Knuckles jammed his claws into the monstrous things lenses, trying to position himself to get a good grip on the sword.

"This won't stand!" the thing yelled and sand started to form in its hands. Suddenly he was hit by a bolt of light.

It felt that sensation again.

Pain.

It had never felt that before.

Only the robot and the time being had done this to him.

The thing looked down and saw the Wrapped in Black, still far away. Their chest glowed brightly. How had they struck? The Wrapped in Black turned around, and the thing saw that their back was glowing too. More specifically, the turbine that was spinning. Another bolt of light came forth.

"What are you doing?" yelled Blaze. Knuckles was pulling the sword out. But his shoes were melting. "My soul is one with flames! It can't hurt me! But you are going to die!"

"Then I'll die a warrior," Knuckles said as he grinned. "Besides, I am one with earth. It'll take a lot more than a candle to take me out." Blaze nodded, and again they pulled.

And Iblis was free.

The sword, Blaze, and Knuckles fell downwards, and the thing screamed. The monstrous thing lost its white hot glow, and it began to cool. The metal became a dull gray, and all three of its pieces fell.

Shadow shook his head and looked up. He gasped and quickly skated away before about five tons of hot steel fell on him.

Silver pushed with all his mind, forcing the giant arm up in the air, and tossed it aside into three houses. He fell forward on his knees, panting heavily.

Blaze landed on her feet and caught Knuckles, who blushed. The sword clattered to the ground, the white blade on fire.

Iblis was still blind. He clung to the strange piece of metal, just as his brother had told him. Would he see light again? He felt the metal being picked up. But it was not by his brother. Were they taking Iblis to him?

Knuckles picked up the sword, and yelled. "Hot! Hot!"

The thing had pried itself away from the monstrous thing's head. "My power!" it screamed, and started running at an amazing speed at Knuckles.

Knuckles gasped and thought fast. "Shadow! Hot potato!"

Shadow was still half out of it when Knuckles tossed him the sword. Shadow caught it, still half asleep. He wasn't half asleep anymore.

He gritted his teeth and tried his best not to cry out in agony. "Take it to Metal and Meph!" Blaze cried out, and charged at the thing, which had run into Knuckles and was proceeding to gouge his eyes out.

Shadow started skating through the streets, making his way back to the Wrapped in Black. It was hard for him to skate and not cry out in pain.

Silver floated next to Shadow and grabbed the flaming sword from him with his powers. Shadow let go and stopped, frantically blowing on his hands. The thing ran by him, Blaze running right behind.

Iblis began to struggle and squirm. There was nothing carrying him. What was going on?

Silver struggled to keep a mental grip on the blade in flames, for somehow it was getting free, and Silver was losing his grip. Blaze ran next to him. "Pass it!" she called and Silver let go, Blaze taking it in her hands.

Silver turned to stop the thing, but was plowed through.

Blaze's heels were on fire, and her pupils were shrunk in fear. She didn't like carrying these flames. And she could feel that the flames didn't like being in her possession. But at least, it seemed, the flames were not going to attack her.

"Give it to me!" the thing shrieked, reaching out a disfigured hand for her. "I've worked too hard, too long to be stopped by mere mortals!" Blaze stole a quick glance behind her, and saw that the thing was only an inch behind her. She wasn't going to make it.

Iblis felt his former cage's fear. Perhaps it was because he hated that thing. Perhaps it was because he knew he could trust her. Perhaps he felt sorry for her. Perhaps he… actually cared about her. Perhaps he had bonded to her. Perhaps it was all these things. Whatever the reason, Iblis decided to save her.

Blaze could feel the death about to grab her shoulder. There was no sign of the others.

Then the blade of flames swung itself. Blaze spun, a sudden burst of fire surrounding her, and the sword struck the thing hard in were a stomach would have been. The thing again felt pain. But this jolt was nearly unbearable it was so… horrendous. Why was he feeling this? And… was it affecting him?

Him? It was a thing, not a him. Wasn't he? Why were these thought going through its head now? Why did it feel pain?

The thing was blown back by the force of the swing and the flames, smashing into a wall

The sword slipped from Blaze's grip, flying through the wind and the rain. The sword fell and landed in the dirt, right in front of the Wrapped in Black. The seven shining lights spun around them-all three of them-faster, faster, faster. The flames erupted from sword and began to circle in the opposite direction of the lights. They began to glow.

Knuckles picked himself up and rubbed his head. He turned around, looking at the remains of the monstrous thing. "That's a good look for you, Megalo." Knuckles chuckled at his own joke, reminiscing. Suddenly the arm moved. "I was just kidding!" cried Knuckles as the left over metal began to scrape across the ground after him.

The thing stepped out of the hole his body made, and frowned. His eyes, once full of insanity and rage, were now looking down, defeated.

Blaze, Shadow, and Silver ran up to where a great light was, but had to shield their eyes from the light. Knuckles ran up as well, though he ran into the others, causing them to fall over. The left over metal lifted off the ground, and was sucked into the light.

Suddenly, the light stopped. The four with Emeralds felt an overwhelming power and looked up.

There was a Being. This Being brought them fear. Yet this Being also brought comfort. They felt that this Being could have snuffed them out with a whim.

The Being had a shape, though they could tell it was only for show. But quite a show it was. It was made of pieces. Lots of little pieces all forming together to form this Being. Yet not a single piece was touching. The form was a glowing and pure white, decorated in shining gold designs. The form had a robe around its waist, though the robe floated a few centimeters away. The forms forearms were cone shaped, making the form look as if it had garnished lose sleeves. It had angel wings made of shining white metal, made of pieces spread out so that it also looked like a spider's web that could ensnare your soul. It had some features reminiscent of the beings it was made of. It had metallic quills, though they swayed as if truly quills. The forms head was white, with a golden line to where a ghostly blue would have been. The form was tall and thin, looking like a powerful creature ready to fight.

And the eyes? Describing them would be a fool's errand. This Being's eyes were full of everything. That is all that can be said of them.

Though this Being shined the brightest light imaginable, the Being still cast a shadow, long and great, stretching forever behind the Being.

The Being pointed a finger to the chaos above, and the rain ceased in an instant. They four looked up. The chaos was still there, but it had calmed. A small cloud of chaos came from the sky and came before the Being. With a wave of the Beings hand, the cloud took on the form of the Knight, bowing on one knee.

Well done.

This came from everywhere. It did not echo. It was not in the back of anyone's mind. It was everywhere.

It is most unfortunate I can not create. Only reform. I could solve so many problems if I could create.

The Knight nodded. Its form shimmered as if not truly there.

May you forever be at peace in perfect chaos. May your thought forever guide the laws of everything. It only saddens me you are not capable of feeling joy. I would provide you with so much better of a reward if you could.

The Knight looked up at the being.

Ah, your sword.

The Knight's sword, still white and bright, pulled itself from the ground, and floated over to the form of the Knight. The Knight took it, and it shimmered.

Farewell, my loyal knight. Though you did not understand what was right and wrong, you still knew what it was.

The Knight placed its head back down, and it again became chaos. It became one with all.

The Being watched as the chaos melded with the rest, then walked. The four instantly stood up, staring at the Being, unable to take their gaze away.

"Wow," whispered Blaze.

Silver heard her. "Seriously."

Knuckles stood as straight as he could, his body trembling.

Shadow was silent, but he did not cross his arms the way he normally would. For some reason he just couldn't do it.

They all heard footsteps, and turned around. Walking slowly to them was the thing that had caused all this. The four prepared to strike, but stopped. Something told them not to hurt it. They all watched as the Being stepped forward, and as the Being walked by them one by one they felt a wave of happiness wash over them. They succumbed to this odd sensation, and even Shadow was unable to keep himself from smiling an honest smile.

The thing and the Being met face to face and stopped. The thing was no longer grinning. His metal mouth frowned and his eyes looked down. The thing bent forward and got on his claws and knees. He bowed before the Being.

"I am beaten," he whispered. "I am at your mercy."

Then it is lucky for you that I happen to have some to spare.

From the things blood red eyes came drops of pure black. These were its tears. "I have fought so many heroes before. You are the first to shame me. You are the first to bring me pain."

Do you know why I did these things to you?

"Because I am the Spirit of Sin. It is what I deserve."

And have you always known this?

The thing bit what he used as a tongue. "Yes. I know."

Then why do you do it?

"What else can I do? I was made aware that way. I have always been that way."

There is a part of me that wants you to disappear in nothingness. There is another part of me that feels your pain and wants to let you go. Then there is a part of me that sees the problem with both of these situations. You know what I must do, though. I can't let you run ramped in this existence.

"I understand."

Still, I must commend you. You have done your cursed job well. You brought a few frowns to where people placed fake smiles.

"Thank you. You do know I'll be back, right?"

And I'm sure you'll give the next guy hell. I'd wish you good luck with that, but I don't want you to win.

"I… understand."

The thing, in a second, disappeared. There were no lights, no flashes, he just blipped away.

"Why did you let him go?" asked Knuckles in a tone that was the opposite of how he would have asked it under the usual circumstances.

"Yeah," said Silver. "I thought, you know, you'd punish him."

In three different ways I know what its like to be hated for the reasons you were made. He is the Spirit of Sin. How else is he going to act?

"So," asked Shadow, his tone unwavering unlike the others, "What now?"

I shall put the universe back together. Unfortunately, this is the only time I shall exist, in a sense. Once everything is back, I, like time that can never be recovered, shall fade. But fear not for me. It is my purpose. It is what I shall do. It is what I love.

"What about-"

The three that make me shall be returned to the mortal plain. The shadow will be fine, and the flame will have a new shape. But the robot needs to be repaired. This is almost too much for him.

The Beings hands began to glow brightly, and the Being shot light into the chaos.

May the balance of chaos and order return. You guys might want to shield your eyes.

The four covered their eyes as a bright flash of light came forth from the Being.

They did not notice when the light had stopped. But it had. Or maybe it still shone within the universe. Whatever the case, Shadow, Silver, Blaze, and Knuckles now stood in the streets of Soleanna, as if nothing had happened. All the people around them ran through the rain, trying to get indoors. Before the four, Mephiles, a beaten down Metal, and and orange cat were standing. They all took a look at the cat, then at Mephiles, then at Metal.

Questions could wait. A friend needed help.

-Author's notes-

I was really happy with how this turned out. Was being a key term, but I still kind of like it. In my mature mind, I realize it was a bit silly to have the universe be destroyed and repaired in the middle of the story. But then the less mature part reminds me that this has kind of become a regular thing for Sonic. Seriously, how many times has all of existence been threatened collectively in all things Sonic related? And then we deal with one of my favorite philosophical debates, though only lightly. The whole 'defeat evil' situation. Thing is, as I've grown older, I've found very few villains with a sad past I can earnestly feel sorry for. The thing is, they always have a choice.

Take Super Paper Mario for example. The villain, Count Bleck, had to deal with his love being killed by his father. You want to hate your father and kill him for that, hey, I'll grab my pitchfork and lend a hand. But when you want to erase existence because of it, well, I just think you are a wimp. Is that what your love would want? And he didn't get that power on his own, he had to rely on a magic book. It all boils down to choice that makes me feel sorry for a villain/hero. If you had no other real option then you have my sympathy. That's why I feel sorry for characters like the Devil and Maleficent. When it comes right down to it, they had no other option but to be evil and we have no choice but to destroy them.

As it stands, there's only one video game villain I feel sorry for. If you're interested to know, just shoot me a pm and I'll get back to you about it. I actually am writing a story based off of it. Involving ponies, just to warn you all in advance. I've been ranting, so I'll end it here.

The Conflicted Writer


	33. Order After the Storm

**Order after the Storm**

What is about to be described takes place in a place that cannot be described, and while a similar transaction happened at the same time as this one, it was in a place special only to those there. This happened right before everything was fixed, yet not when everything was broken. But it happened in one way or another.

"Henry?" asked a hopeful princess, her voice cracking slightly. "Is that you?"

"It is, isn't it?" said a forgotten knight, his shape different from when the princess last saw his unmoving form. It was how she last remembered seeing him. "Turns out when you go you get the form you're most remembered as. I guess this one makes sense. And it feels great too!"

"Henry…" said the princess, "What happened all those years ago? I was so young… I don't remember."

"It was on request of your father," said the forgotten knight, turning his head as though trying to remember. "You know me, the best stone worker and the best knight. Who else was good enough for the job?

"Oh, right. The Duke requested for me to repair your mother's necklace. The chain had gone, and the outer layer was tarnished. But we had no idea what it was made out of, and I had to figure it out. So me and my best warriors started sailing the seas. I remember how much you cried when we were waving to each other."

"Then what happened? Why didn't you come back?"

"Oh, it was horrible. One minute I was checking my charts, working my compass 'cause I hated using those darn GPS things, the next a horrible whispering was in my ear. 'You will pay for not releasing me' or something to that effect. My heart pounded, my lungs cringed, and I could hardly breathe. It was like fifteen years had been stripped right off of me. My crew came in and saw me. What shame! Their captain, weak and defenseless. I feel as if it was this that caused my crew to fail in that sea battle.

"We were attacked by birds riding them extreme gear do-hikies, and we were creamed. Sure, we managed to take them out too and sink them, but not before they broke the ship and killed most of us. We sunk and I had to strip out of my armor in order to float on a board. I lost my best sword to the sea. What was left of my men I was separated from, and I simply floated, praying that I could get out of this one alive. I was suddenly humbled and forced to ask for help from the one thing I had always spit upon. I guess He heard my plea or something. Maybe I was just lucky. Maybe my purpose was to help someone else. But I drifted to shore where I was found and healed my modern medicine and pretended to have amnesia."

"But Henry, why would you do that? All this time… I thought you were gone."

"Don't forget that I am now. But anyway, I couldn't face the Duke, or you, with failure written in my scars. So I feigned forgetfulness and started a new life. I had been injured, and travel was simply too hard for me in my 'oldened' condition. So I waited and lived, watching you with the internet and such things, learning all I could about how you were doing with yourself, and scientifically studying the necklace, hoping to fix it one day. Then I met Sir Metal.

"See, at first I didn't trust him 'cause I saw two of him at the same time, and I thought that meant he was a model of sorts built by some big company. Then I saw that he had my sword and I was baffled that he knew how to use it. So after I asked him where he got it and what he was doing, he told me a story as fantastic as those of the great Homer of Greece. I didn't believe him at first, but I liked him and took him under my wing, showing him what I knew about stones and a few chaos tricks I knew. Ah, it was nice having a pupil that paid absolute attention to me. He didn't want to program swordplay into him, no; he did it the old fashioned way.

"Then he said he caught a time spirit, and he wanted us to make him a new form, and he promised he knew some stones that could be what I'm looking for. Again I was skeptical, but I helped. The next thing I know, I've got a moving statue on my hands. It was my greatest work come alive! It was amazing.

"So then, the time guy, Mephiles, he said we had to go hunting for Time Stones, so he was commanded. We went from place to place, occasionally stopping so Metal could do some time related watsit, and we met all sorts of crazy characters, and I got to see rare metals. Mephiles showed me metal from the future, Blaze showed me alternate dimension metal, Rouge showed all kinds of stones, and Metal showed me some stones and metal from an ancient civilization. But, alas, none was what I was looking for, until at last Metal examined the necklace and figured out what it was made of by scanning it down to its molecular core or something like that. Turns out it was from that Little Planet you were just at. And Metal happened to know someone who carried some in the mortal world.

"So, we come here, to the part where I was trying to get the repaired necklace to you before my increased aging got me and I was shamed further. But we were attacked by something filled with evil, and Metal brought me my sword at the last second, allowing me to fall in battle. True the thing got my sword and stabbed me with it, but it fought surprisingly fair and I died in an honest fight. I died with what dignity I had left."

The princess smiled and hugged the knight, and the knight hugged back. "I got the necklace, Henry."

"I saw. It looks better on you then it did on your mother."

"It looks better than knew, thanks to you." The princess began to cry softly. "Is this goodbye, Henry?"

"No goodbye is eternal, my sweet, as long as we don't forget each other. In one way or another, you'll see me again. It's too bad though for one reason."

"What reason other than not seeing the other for a long while?"

"I remember all those Greek epics by heart, and in all of them, the hero gets a maiden. It didn't matter how young or old she was, just that she was pretty and you loved her. It doesn't work like that anymore."

"Henry, what are you saying?"

"What do you think I'm saying? As I watched you from afar, I grew attached to you. Maybe it's 'cause I'm a hedgehog and have natural bonding issues, but-"

"I understand," said the princess.

What happened next can only be described by someone who has tasted what these two have tasted. Only a lucky few can do this, and the other pair in the other world had the same thing happen to them. Their time here came to an end, but their memory would be there always, they would always feel that way.

But… they had to move on.

-break-

Iblis's phantom green eyes wandered around the room he stood in, surveying all the shiny and not so shiny things around and the people using them. His brother stood near him, making sure he didn't touch anything.

It wasn't that Iblis broke everything he touched. It more so like he explored what he touched. Despite his massive, rocky fingers, he could take things apart with an odd accuracy. The real problem was getting things back together.

Mephiles was a little lost as to how to feel at this point. His quest to save time was over. To add to that, he now had a brother. He had expected less, actually. He hadn't expected to have a good deal of his powers back either. But he had all these things and friends. It couldn't be better, in his opinion.

He looked up at his brother, who had grabbed a rubber ball and was trying to tear it in half. If Mephiles could have smiled he would have. Iblis, despite being taller than most, and being rather lanky, was quiet. Mephiles had not heard him actually say anything except through thoughts and feelings and he wondered if that had anything to do with the fact that he didn't have a mouth in his white muzzle. Iblis's white tipped orange tail curved and bended as he tried to pull the ball apart, obviously getting a little frustrated.

"Iblis," Mephiles said in a tone gentler than he used with most-and he had become pretty gentle in his opinion-, "That's a ball. It doesn't come apart very easily."

Iblis either didn't hear or ignored Mephiles and continued trying to take the ball apart. Suddenly it flew out of his hands and started bouncing around the garage, hitting things and people. Surprisingly, it bounced of all the heads in the room except for Mephiles's.

"Hey!" cried Tails.

"Ah, my eye!" shouted Shadow.

When the ball hit Wave, she grunted and quickly caught it. She sighed and brought it over to Iblis. Iblis put two fingers together, the few features he had looking sorrowful. Wave took a look at him, and the speech she was about to give melted and she couldn't stay mad. "Could you play somewhere else right now?" asked Wave sweetly as she held out the ball to Iblis.

Iblis's pupils shrank slightly and he reached out for the ball, his hand trembling slightly.

"Right. Sorry," said Mephiles as he took Iblis's arm. "Come on, Iblis, let's go explore the town some."

Iblis stopped upon hearing that.

"Oh, right… fear of water… in more ways than one."

Iblis nodded.

"Come on, Iblis, we won't take any boats and we'll stay on the sidewalk at all times. We need to wait for Metal to wake up."

Iblis looked annoyed.

"Fine, when he's 'repaired'. Happy?"

Iblis nodded. He did not like being talked to as if he were a child. He was as old as his brother. Being treated like one? That was different.

Wave rolled her eyes as Mephiles and Iblis walked out. "Are you sure those two are demi-gods?"

Tails, a pair of goggles hiding his eyes, nodded. "Oh yeah."

"Very sure," Shadow seconded. He held up three fingers and, using the spark made between them, started welding Metal together. "I don't know if the new models will be one-hundred percent compatible."

"I think all the chaos coded in his systems makes him compatible with almost anything," Tails said as he examined an experimental Chaos hydraulic that he and Shadow had just invented. "I remember when I first saw him after we defeated a flying blimp-battleship. At least, I think it was him. I just knew it wasn't a normal Eggman robot."

"Still, I think we should keep some of the basic exterior programs in the spare motherboard, just in case of a malfunction," Shadow said pulling his fingers away and blowing them out. Looking at the wires and metal before him, Shadow was a little baffled. He had almost forgotten that this was what was underneath Metal's armor after spending so much time with the reformed robot.

Wave was messing with Metal's old engine, adding her own special flare to it. "Think he can handle extreme gear style gyros?"

"If he can't," Tails said, "he'll learn."

"Why can't you just reprogram him or something?"

"I tried," Shadow said as he wiped oil off of his gloves with a rag. "Me and Omega did. But he was hack proof. We couldn't bypass anything or get to anywhere. I'd thought he'd be a killer forever when I saw that. Guess I'm not always right."

Wave shook her head and continued to fiddle with the engine as she spoke. "I have to admit, I'm having a lot more fun than I would be having if you guys weren't around. Sure was nice of the princess to pay for all these repairs and upgrades."

"Hmm," Tails said absentmindedly.

"Ohh… I hope Storm and Jet aren't doing anything too stupid right now."

-break-

"Shh!"

"Sorry Boss."

"How many times do I have to tell you? No stealing actual objects unless we find them in a temple. Who knows what kind of meaning these things could have to a person? Let's just find the gold vault and run."

"Okay!"

-break-

"I'm sure they're fine," said Tails while attaching the eye lenses.

"I can never be sure. I can never be a quarter sure, either. Anyway, what are we going to do once we fix 'im?"

Shadow huffed. "And by that you mean, 'how much are you going to pay us when you need a lift', don't you?"

"No way," said Wave with a grin. "We don't charge friends." she added with a wink.

Shadow crossed his arms. "And?"

Wave grinned sheepishly and shrugged. "And we want to come because you guys might lead us to some treasure."

"That's better."

"So, what are we doing?"

"We're going to find Sonic," Tails said with more force than he had used in a while. "He still had an Emerald we need, and maybe we can talk to him."

"He's hiding something," Shadow thought out loud. "If for any reason, we need to catch him so we can find out how he knows the Homing Attack, when I and him are the only ones who can do it. He must have more chaos skills than he lets on."

Tails gulped and hoped his goggles hid his eyes well enough that they couldn't be read. He had seen some of those skills. But he was afraid what the others would think if he told them.

"There," said Wave. "I've put the finishing touches on his engine. It's some of my best work, and it isn't even Extreme Gear." She frowned. "Why am I doing this?" she whispered to herself.

"We're not ready to attach it yet. We're still trying to figure out how the outer design will affect performance."

"I still say the pointy shoes are a bad idea. I say we stick with a 'toe' like design."

"Aww, but I bet he'd like the pointy shoes."

"I think the cloak-kilt thing is good enough. Besides, we're adding all the other bits, other than the spikes, aren't we? The pointy shoes just… wouldn't look right."

"But… all right, I guess it looks more like an elf thing than a Celtic thing."

Wave looked at the half finished robot with respect. She didn't know a thing about programming, but robotics was a stone's throw away from Extreme Gear building. Complete with more functions than a Swiss army knife has gadgets, this guy was going to be powerful. Tails figured out how to power it all on one Emerald… and still leave enough juice for Chaos skills.

"Not bad, shorty," she said appreciatively. "Not bad at all."

"Thanks," said Tails with a smile while removing his goggles and turning his head over to Wave. "I want only the best for my friends. Speaking of friends, what do you think the others are doing right now?"

Shadow started moving his hand, glowing a yellow light, over an arm chassis that looked like the sleeves of warlock's outfit. "Silver's off on a date with Blaze, I think. It's the only thing I can guess. Knuckles and Vector are probably enjoying the lap of luxury while they can." He suddenly quirked a brow and raised his hand away. "I wonder what Rouge and Omega are doing? They're never any farther from trouble than I am."

"Speak of the devil," came a flirty voice from the doorway. "We were just talking about you too, Shadow." Shadow turned his head to see some of the first friends he ever made. "Think you could squeeze some time out of your busy schedule to talk to us?" asked Rouge sweetly. Omega was behind her.

"Hello, comrade Shadow," Omega said, his voice on a quieter decibel than normal. "There is something of… importance we wish to speak to you about."

Shadow furrowed his brows, as he always did when in the company of 'Team Dark' as the military sometimes referred to them as. "What is it?"

Rouge lost her flirty grin, took a glance at Omega, and then turned back. Her tone became sad, yet still serious. "It's private, Shadow. Just between us. Can you come with us?"

Shadow turned to the other two he had been working with. Tails nodded. "We can get some stuff done while you're gone."

"Alright," said Shadow as he started out the door. "I'll be back in a bit." Team Dark went away, leaving Wave and Tails by themselves.

Wave shook her head. "I don't like her. She's got too much make-up. Hardly anyone nice wears that much make-up."

"Rouge is hardly nice," Tails agreed, "But she's still a good enough person." He rubbed one of his cheeks. "I think."

Wave grinned, noticing what Tails was doing. "Oh, did it feel nice?"

Tails eyes shrank. "Uh, w-what do you mean?"

"Oh, you know what I mean, shorty."

"It was-I mean-"

"I bet I can do it better," Wave said as she advanced on Tails.

"H-hold on! Aren't you and Jet," Tails backed up a few steps, "you know?"

"What, me and him? No way. Brothers and sisters don't do that kind of thing."

Tails didn't stand a chance.

-break-

Team Dark was on the beach closest to the castle, which wasn't that far considering the castle was on a small island type estate. They all stared out at the water and the town on the other side.

"So," said Shadow, his tone remaining serious. "What do you need from me?"

Rouge sighed, placing a hand on her hip. "It's all still business to you, isn't it?" That was about the fiftieth time Shadow had heard Rouge say that. It was the first time he had heard her say it so sadly.

Shadow turned his head to her. "No," he said plainly. "Not all of it. Just what seems to be business, and that's it." He was silently wondering something completely off topic.

"Is it really, Shadow?" Rouge asked pleadingly. "Because right now Omega needs a friend, not a business man."

Shadow looked at Omega, a question present on his face. "Why?"

"Omega… he's-"

"Let me, Rouge," Omega said, bending slightly to look Shadow in the eyes. "Do you know what I am, Shadow?"

"A robot?" Shadow said, somewhat sarcastically.

"Yes, Shadow. Do you know what kind?"

"… An Eggman robot?"

"Yes Shadow. Do you know what kind of Eggman robot?"

"… No. I can honestly say I don't know what kind of robot you are." Other than strong and insane.

"I am an E-series Eggman robot. One of the last triple-digit series. Triple digit E-series robots shared a common trait with very old Eggman robots. That trait is bio-batteries."

Shadow thought about that for a second. "Wait – does that mean that they run on living creatures? We – as in my group before we got to Soleanna – fought something that looked kind of like you, and Knuckles was stuck in it."

"That one was a special model, Shadow. Usually, E-series robots run on smaller creatures. Much smaller."

Shadow's eyes opened wide. "Are you saying you run on some animal?"

"Yes, Shadow. I am powered by a small creature, most likely a rabbit or squirrel."

Shadow looked at Omega, still a little confused. "So, there's a living thing stuck inside you. You probably want to get it out, right? Why are you both acting so serious about it? I'm sure Tails can replace it with a real battery or something."

"That is the problem, Shadow. It cannot be replaced."

Shadow furrowed his brows.

"The creature inside me is, essentially, what creates my current being and thought process. Without that single creature, I am not me."

Omega waited for Shadow to say something. Instead, Shadow clenched his fists. Omega continued. "However, as it is a living organism, it does not survive forever, even in extreme hyper-sleep. It will eventually wither and die."

"Then… we can just take it out and feed it…" Shadow said this, but his voice trembled as if expecting to be denied.

"No, Shadow. We cannot. Once it is disconnected from my main drive, there is an eighty percent chance the creature will have no recollection of being me." Omega paused. "There is a chance that it will simply leave and never return to this body. No matter what we do, there is a chance I will… die."

Shadow tore himself away from Omega's gaze and turned to Rouge. "It isn't true," he said with great force, his eyes sparkling. "It's not true. He's lying to me."

Rouge closed her eyes. "It is true, Shadow. And guessing from how long that base had been abandoned… the animal can't have much time left. I was traveling with Metal, trying to find Omega's blueprints, hoping they could have an answer. But I couldn't find them. So… there's only one thing we can do now."

Shadow breathed heavily. He was losing one of the first friends he ever had. He couldn't believe it.

But… he had to let him go.

Shadow un-clenched his hands, and turned back to Omega. His face was stern, but he did not hide the tears that had started to form. "Open up, Omega. You danced through fire enough, trapped in that machine. If you want freedom, you deserve it."

Rouge smiled. She had expected an explosion, rejection, and a storm all in one fell swoop. None of the above had happened.

Omega paused. "I have very few words… my friends. I can only leave these ones. Good Bye." Omega's eye's suddenly shut off, as well as the rest of him, and his chest chassis steamed and hissed as it opened. Shadow gulped and kept his eyes on the chest, waiting for what could be inside. Rouge moved next to him, and unconsciously took his hand. Shadow did not try to take it back.

The chest plate completely opened, and they saw it. A squirrel, small and gray. There was nothing special about it, other than the fact that it was trapped in a green energy sphere. Shadow's and Rouge's eyes met for a moment, then they looked back at the little creature. Shadow reached his hand forward, and touched the sphere, dispelling it suddenly. The squirrel fell slightly, and it quickly jolted as if woken up from sleep. It looked at Shadow and Rouge, fear evident in its pure black eyes. Shadow held his hand perfectly still and waited. Was the little creature trying to remember him? Shadow trembled ever so slightly.

And the squirrel ran. It jumped from the remains of Omega to the sand below and scurried quickly, leaving Shadow and Rouge to watch it run away. Shadow despairingly reached out for it. "Come back," he whispered. "Don't go…"

There was silence for a little while on the beach, with nothing but the waves making any movement or sound.

After a minute or two, Rouge spoke up. "Are you okay, Shadow?"

Shadow looked at the ground. "Are you?"

"No… not really."

"Then no. But I will move on. At least…" Shadow turned to Rouge, holding a little box in his hand. "I still have you."

"Shadow," she gasped quietly, her eyes widening.

"I have a proposition for you Rouge. Should you accept this parce, you shall accept my proposal." Rouge took the box slowly, and opened it just the same way. Inside was a ring with a sparkling ruby wedged in it. To a master jewel thief like herself this was next to worthless. But, for this particular jewel, she let that go and saw what could be the most valuable stone on the planet. Even more so than the Master Emerald.

Rouge grinned, and her former flirty self came in full swing. "Gee, Mr. Shadow, this is quite an offer you're giving me. But I would be robbing so many other people of my services if I did take you up on it."

"Well then," Shadow said as he held out his hand, "give it back."

Rouge grinned seductively. "You know what, I don't think I will. I like a boss who isn't easily distracted. Especially by me. But I have a few other engagements, and I'm sure you do to, before we can seal the deal. When do we make our partnership official?"

"I'll have the contract set up in three months. I'll give you an exact day when I can."

Rouge slipped the ring on her third finger and looked at it. "It looks quite nice actually."

"I'm glad. You're a key to me. You've changed me… so much."

Suddenly they heard footsteps and little squeaks, like from a small rodent. They turned around, and Mephiles and Iblis were behind them, Iblis holding a small gray squirrel and a can of nuts. The squirrel ate from the can hungrily.

"Forgive us," said Mephiles as they came closer to Shadow and Rouge. "Are we interrupting anything?"

"No," said Rouge gingerly, not really taking care to hide her hand. "We were just discussing business."

Shadow looked at the squirrel almost hungrily. Was it Omega? What was Iblis doing with him?

Mephiles looked over at Omega's former shell. "Why's Omega just standing there?"

"We'll tell you later," Shadow sighed. "What's Iblis doing with that squirrel?"

Iblis turned to Mephiles and nudged him with an elbow. "Hmm? Oh, right. Iblis says to let him run around and give him food and water for the next few days and he'll be fine."

Rouge raised a hand to her lips. "Do you mean the squirrel?"

"No, I mean Iblis because he obviously can ea. Of course the squirrel."

"But why?" asked Shadow.

Mephiles turned his head to Iblis, who kept holding the squirrel. Mephiles turned back after a second. "He won't tell me. He just says that you two know what he's talking about."

Shadow and Rouge looked at Iblis who held out the squirrel and the nuts to them. They both looked baffled, but Rouge reached out and took what was in Iblis's stone like hands. "Thank you," she said. "How did you get him?"

"Iblis can do that," Mephiles said with a shrug. "The second we walked out of the castle, practically every small animal in the everywhere came to him to get an ear scratching. It's peculiar, but he seems to connect to them really well."

Iblis bowed his head to Shadow and Rouge, and then started walking away. "Wait up!" called Mephiles as he jogged to catch up to him.

Again, Shadow and Rouge were left in silence, with the waves as the only noise hearable. That and the crunching of nuts. Unlike the last silence, Rouge and Shadow were smiling warmly. They held the others hand and let the sundown's light cast on them. They lost track of time while they just stood there, but it seemed it was time well spent.

-break-

"Because I can," the dark hedgehog said, and he charged forward at a speed no one could match.

No one. Except…

Metal Sonic raised his hands and stopped the dark hedgehog on a dime. "No…" Metal Sonic whispered. "No … you can't."

The dark hedgehog growled and used all his force to push forward.

But Metal Sonic would not move.

And thus, they struggled, trying to see which one, truly, was a thing of evil.

-break-

'System Rebooting' 'Beginning Diagnostics'

"What…?" Metal said groggily as his focus came on.

"He's on!" cried Wave. "And the stats so far are all reading amazing."

"Metal?" came Tails voice. "Are you awake?"

Metal eyes came on completely and he saw Tails looking over him with a smile.

"I'm awake," said Metal. "But can I be off for another five minutes? I was having a great dream."

Tails giggled a little. "No way, Metal. You don't have time. We're about to be Knighted, but Elise won't get started until you're there."

"Knighted?" Metal asked suddenly. The table he was on tilted forward and Tails pulled a plug from his back.

"All systems at maximum capacity," said Wave as she walked over to Metal. "Nice job shorty. I do believe he's our best work yet.

Metal stood off the table and looked himself over, amazed. He now looked like a combination of a Warlock and a Knight complete with cone shaped sleeves and shin guards. His forearms and forelegs were still silver, just the way he liked them. He saw a kilt around his waist that was made of a strange metal that bent and moved almost like cloth, only stiffer. He still had red 'shoes', but now they looked more like shoes than before. All the yellow was gone, and in its place was white lines the curved and bent on his 'sleeves' in a Celtic design. Tails pointed over to a mirror and Metal walked over to examine himself better. In so many ways it reminded him of when he was the Overlord, and yet this from was softer than that. Now, with metal quills styled the down like they were with his last form, and torso covered in the same Celtic designs as most of the blue on him, he looked more like – dare he think it? – a hero.

His eyes still glowed, and still his nose was pointed, and he still had a silver muzzle. He was still Metal. He turned around and got a good 360 look at himself, and saw that his kilt had the symbol of Soleanna; a bird with its wings spread wide, holding up the sun. His 'tail' was hidden under the kilt, but he could see two back spikes like before, both of them completely white. And he still had his faithful engine, though he could tell it had been upgraded.

"Do you like it?" asked Tails, stepping next to Metal. "I guessed you like Celtics from… well, you know."

Metal grabbed Tails and hoisted him into a forceful hug. "You know me well, Tails" he said gleefully. "I _feel_ great. I _look_ great. Who came up with this design? It's so… ravishing is the only word I have for it." Metal put Tails down. "But-"

"Shadow said the kilt was enough," answered Wave before Metal could finish.

"Aww… I liked those shoes."

"Come on" cried Tails as he pulled on Metal's hand, acting as excited as the little kid he was meant to be. "There's a party, and we're the guests of honor."

"I'll be right there, Tails," said Metal as he gave Tails hand a gentle squeeze before letting go. "I just need to take in my new form a little better, alright?"

"Okay, but don't take too long. We've kept Elise waiting long enough." Tails then ran out the door laughing in a childlike manner.

Metal looked back at the mirror, taking it all in. And by all, it is meant all that was happening. He looked at his form half in gratitude, half in remorse. He looked down at his well detailed feet.

Wave was just about to walk out when she noticed that. "Are you okay?" she asked kindly, and Metal looked over at her.

"I feel as if I don't deserve all this," said Metal sadly. "He's done so much for me, yet it would seem I have not kept my promise to him yet, and I'm afraid I might fail him."

"You mean Tails, right?" Metal nodded. "What promise?"

"I promised him I'd help him find love. Let's just leave it at that."

Wave smiled. "Don't worry about that. You're doing just fine."

"How do you know?"

"I just do. Now come on, I know you don't have a stomach, but some of your friends are hungry."

Metal grinned on the inside, and followed Wave out of the garage. Friends. His friends. It was such a comforting thought.

So Metal went, and was from that day on Sir Metal, Knight of the Sun's Reflection, Knight of the Moon.

-break-

A man ran through the pathways of the Mystic Ruins as fast as he could, but that was not very fast considering his leg was broken. But he had to get away. He couldn't let that beast get him. It was closing in. The man could smell the blood dripping off its teeth. Suddenly the man tripped on the root of a tree sticking out of the ground, and he fell, easy prey for the beast. The man got a final look at the beast before the end. He saw its horrible snarling face, its emerald eyes contorted it the utmost rage. With a ferocious roar, the beast dug into its prey, getting blood on its thick blue coat. With a mighty howl to the sky, the beast left the carcass, not even bothering to eat it. As it ran, it left tracks in the ground, tracks that only a pair of cleats could make.

The beast cared not if its tracks were seen, only if it was seen. It wanted to be seen, just not yet. It wouldn't be long before its enemy walked right into its trap. Not too long at all.

-Author's Note-

And now, my friends, we come to a rather strange point in the story. Starting from here, I quit. That is to say, I suddenly stop trying in one way and started trying in another. Up until now, I had been at least trying to write something that could be in a Sonic game. If I rewrote the story, I'd probably still try to do that. At the time, however, I threw caution to the wind and wrote whatever I thought was fun.

As such, it no longer will feel like it could be in a Sonic game. Which is really sad, I have some ideas about what could be done with Sonic games to make them awesome. I'd love a tactical RPG with Snively as the protagonist. He commands robots and he could be the one who repairs them! What I'd really like, though, is Prince of Persia gameplay with a Sonic twist. Not the story elements, parkor style speed running. The great thing about Prince of Persia games is that it slowly eases you into the controls, so that by the end you are ready to speed run through the collapsing palace that's trying to kill you. Sonic really needs to stop trying to be so 'extreme' and take a breath.

But now I'm ranting. The point is, expect things to get crazy. It's still good, I'm told, just completely out of left field at times. And by the end of the story, everything is completely nuts. Expect references to other Sonic universes, other games in general, and my own personal favorite cartoons, mainstream or otherwise. You won't know what to expect, much like me. One thing I haven't made clear to new readers: when I wrote this originally, I had no idea what was going on either. I just wrote whatever came to mind. The story has an episodic feel because of that, but anyway, what happens eventually was as much a surprise to you as it was to me. It all just depended an where my thoughts were at the time.

By the way, if you guys leave reviews as anonymous people, I can't reply to your questions or your review in general. Olivaceous was a special case considering all the nice things he had to say and the fact that he reviews every new chapter. Just so you all know, I appreciate your reviews, even the ones I can't personally reply to.

Sincerely,

The Conflicted Writer


	34. Chapter 34

**Chapter 34**

Body enhancements: strength drastically increased by Chaos Hydraulics. New shape catches air better allowing for enhanced speed and performance. Multiple add-ons have been included and upgraded. Temperature readings have become more accurate. Auto lock-on has become more accurate. Multiple different lenses have been added; X-ray, heat, ultra-violet, enhanced telescopic. Compass has at last been added. Internet connection has been enhanced. Gun arm and un-breakable arm was removed and replaced. New E-series machine gun has been incorporated with new 'Hammer Space' storage system.

Personal notes: My new form, made by the creative and combined genius of Tails, Wave, and Shadow, and made from Eggman tech mixed with the best money has to offer is superb in almost every way compared to previous forms. They were even nice enough to make me look like a Celtic warrior. And I never told them how much the Celtics fascinated me. That was nice of them to notice. Considering I was the 'Overlord' at the time, I'm surprised they were able to deduce it. I wonder how they figured it out in all the madness that was going on. Anyway, my… brothers' arms have stopped working, and I now keep them as mementoes and trophies. I also have a piece of Rocket Sonic, his left arm to be precise. I don't have anything to remember Black Knight Sonic except my memories, which makes me sad.

Abilities (certain names made by myself):

Chaos Control: Can be used one of three known ways.

Teleportation: Teleport to an area within capable range, or an area that can be perfectly pictured. Easy, considering this user can literally take pictures with his mind.

Time Altering: Slow down time completely around the user, including opponents.

One with Chaos: Become one with the universe, allowing the user to, in essence, control everything visible. There is a risk to using this form of Chaos Control, as even the sanest person could lose their mind to this one if not careful.

Personal notes: Despite its immense power, this is actually a pretty basic skill. Considering that only a few people can use Chaos, that's relative. All logged Chaos wielders, as I've started calling them, can use this skill, even Knuckles. All other Chaos skills a person has are dependent on the person using them. Aside from Chaos Control, no two people I have met have the same skill.

It's a pretty ironic name that this technique has. Chaos is supposed to be sporadic. If that's the case, how can you control it? That is quite a paradox. Maybe it can only be controlled in the way it wants to be controlled. But then, how can it want anything when it controls everything? I don't actually care, but I'm trying to find the answer… it's kinda like the opposite a villain in a cartoon would do. What would they do once they ruled the world, you know? I, on the other hand, am pursuing a goal that can never be achieved, thus I will always have a goal. It makes no sense, but I don't care. I am not meant to know how the universe works, but I will try my damndest to find out.

It took me a while to master this one. It wasn't until I actually experienced it with Henry and quickly analyzed all the thoughts and feelings I had going through it was I able to get it. However, Chaos Control, considering I have no flesh body like the others, is not an ability I can use very often as it takes up a lot of energy and I only keep one Emerald on my - or in my - person, trusting the other Emeralds with my friends.

Whips of Chaos: Whips extend from whichever hand the attack is initiated from. Hand is swung back and thrown forward as if really holding a whip or lasso. Whips are tentacle like, instantly restraining opponent and hindering movement. When hand is closed, the Whips retreat back into hand, pulling opponent closer.

Personal notes: The first true 'Chaos' ability I discovered I could do on my own. The ability was activated when I wished I had the power to not be Sonic. Since Sonic has no ability like it, I can only assume that the Emerald inside me heard my wish. When used with my extreme focus (see ability with title) I am able to direct the Whips perfectly and in any direction I so desire, taking variables that are no longer variables into effect.

Yellow Shield/Chaos Wall: Force field surrounds self that is invulnerable to all attacks except Chaos based ones. Can be used as a wall for enhanced frontal protection or to guard friends within range of sight. If used in the later way, more strain is caused. The farther away Chaos is sent, the more energy must be spent.

Personal notes: Originally when I was still Metal Sonic I had the Black Shield that made me near invincible. After being repaired by Tails for the first time, the device that produced the Black Shield had to be scrapped. In an underwater endeavor I was nearly struck by a torpedo and was wishing for my Black Shield. Instead I got the Yellow one. Movement in the Yellow shield is far better than with Black shield. During the time in space where there were two of me and two Yellow Chaos Emeralds, I was taught by myself(?) how to bend chaos in a different way, and decided to see if I could focus it better. The Chaos Wall is my answer to that, but it does have drawbacks.

Chaos Arrow: A bow and arrow combo form, made from pure chaos. Arrows can be fired rapidly. Unable to perform differently(?)

Personal notes: My answer to Shadow's Chaos spear, I believe. Sonic has something similar called "Sonic Wind," but the skills deviate slightly from each other. Shadow's Chaos Spear is quicker, while my Chaos Arrows are slower but stronger, while Sonic's Wind is powerful yet spread out decreasing nock-back, I think. I've only experienced it once. I learned this skill while practicing swordplay with Henry. He said archery was a good skill for a knight to have. Then it sort of just… happened.

Chaos Bullet: A blast of super focused chaos energy. Has to be formed at end of gun barrel's tip. The bolt shoots forward with extreme force, breaking nearly anything in its path. Does not do too much damage except to intended target, in which case, massive damage is caused. Massive amount of energy is used for this attack. Am left very vulnerable after execution. Can also be used in a smaller, rapid fire machine gun fashion, but same amount of energy must be used.

Personal notes: This was an ability I taught myself as the me before I traveled back in time (if that makes sense). Not really too much to this one, other than the fact that I must use it sparingly. At full charge, I can do it once without getting fatigued.

Chaos Meld: Sword becomes coated in Chaos, enhancing strength of blade.

Personal notes: I hardly use this one, as it can completely cut through a flesh opponent easily. I only use this when surrounded by mindless robotic enemies. Emphasis on mindless.

Chaos Discharge: When full of complete calm, emptiness, or rage, bursts of lightning shoot out in multiple directions, though this appears to have been near useless so far in that regard. When past used, only a single enemy was present. A single lighting blot would be more useful but make less sense (see Personal notes).

Personal notes: This is my chaotic equivalent to Shadow's 'Chaos Blast', a signature attack like his Chaos Spear and my Chaos Arrows. So far the only times I've used it were when I faced a single opponent, and multiple bolts seem to lack effectiveness in the sense of finishing the opponent completely. However, it seems to spiritually make sense as it takes account for any variables that might happen which is vary agreeable with me. No matter what they do, no matter what way my opponent runs, this attack will hit them. There is no escape from it, just as I like it.

Copy: copy any skill an opponent has by analyzing their data completely. Any skill, except Chaos based ones, can be copied, even strength.

Personal notes: I didn't use this skill for so long I'd almost forgotten I could do it. I used it on Silver the Hedgehog (See previous 'Time log of dates already Visited' for more on Silver) to copy his psycho-kinesis, proving his powers are natural, mutation, or most likely a defect (if it can be called that) in his brain. Anyway, I do not enjoy using this skill unless I absolutely need to. The idea of being unoriginal annoys me as I no longer want to be a copy.

Extreme Focus: Time slows around thought process or thought process is increased by 400%. It is not known which. While in Extreme Focus most unpredictable variables become predictable and advanced mathematics can be used to align perfectly with the situation at hand.

Personal notes: I'm not really sure if this is a Chaos ability or a product of my super computer capabilities. Either way, this one's a favorite of mine. It is only one-upped by Chaos Control.

Chaos(?) Shift: Takes on a liquidy form made of near Perfect Chaos, allowing me to take on nearly any form. Skill currently unusable.

Personal notes: I haven't actually tried using this one since the 'Overlord' incident. This one was powered completely by the power I stole from Chaos, the God of Destruction. I might be able to do it with the current amount of Emeralds we have, but I have no need for this ability, as disguising myself is no longer necessary.

Metal's Free Will log, entry number 1345:

I decided to include my list of abilities with today's log entry. Back up your files and all that.

So much has happened in the past few days that I can hardly believe it was only a few days. I have so much to jot down. But considering everyone's asleep in their respected shared rooms and I don't need to sleep, or shut down, I have time.

So, where to start… I don't know if I should mention the titanic fight that took place, mainly because it technically didn't happen. And I have no idea if I was actually part of… that Being.

Well, I guess I'll start with after I found my new form. My friends and I all went to a party in our honor. I could hardly believe it, but most of them said it was a first time experience. I could believe the Rouges, though. That was believable.

Oh, there was dancing and music. Some people looked really bored and I could see why. But I was having fun. A lot of people where a little too stuff-shirt-y for my tastes, but most people wanted to know all about us.

And I do believe I related my whole life story to complete strangers. I can hardly believe I was so comfortable with that, but it was relieving to let the world know what I was and what I am now.

We were all knighted. Imagine that. We were all made knights by the Princess of Soleanna. Despite the fact that it was nothing more than a title we each were given (though I do like the sound of Sir Shadow and Sir Miles) it sort of made an oath between us. It was unofficial, but I do believe we became a group of friends similar to that of the Justice League. The Babylon Rogues ship (somehow tricked out to be even larger and more luxurious… I wonder how they could afford that or found time to do that) is our floating base of Heroism.

Unfortunately not everyone could stick around. Amy had been seen before the party but she didn't want to come and just up and went. I could see torment in her eyes, though, as I watched her leave. Before she went she said something about our forbidden love. I'm sorry, but that girl needs some therapy if she somehow thinks that just because my name was Metal Sonic I have a crush on her. Maybe in some other plot, Rose, but my heart already belongs to a different flower…

Ahem, enough poetry. Also Rouge had places to go too. It's too bad, I had come to enjoy her company. Despite how much she annoyed everyone in that temporary group. Time moves on, and I can't help but wonder if she's hunting or if she is helping the government do whatever sticky job they need done.

Blaze is still sticking around for the time being (and time being is not to be confused with Mephiles). And Silver has been set free from Time, in a sense. In the future, no one knew where he came from anyway, not even himself, so he won't be missed. The time line rewrote itself (or we took a different path), so he doesn't break anything by staying in this time period. However, when Blaze leaves, Silver will as well. Which is sad but I will cope. For now, he, I, and Mephiles try to outdo each other in chess. Current score: Silver 6, Mephiles 7, and me 57. I actually lost a few times against Mephiles. They aren't giving up without o fight.

Speaking of my adoptive 'brothers', as he and Iblis want to be called by me (at least, I think Iblis does) things have turned out well for them as well. Iblis is now a cat resembling Blaze to a degree and the two of them get along as if their minds were one. However, Iblis is still a polar opposite of Mephiles. While Mephiles is suave and likes to be noticed, Iblis is quiet and while he can be in the same room as someone else he won't do it without Mephiles. Iblis also has this thing for tiny animals. I wonder why? He was so destructive before and now he's like a monk surrounded by nature. I have a theory about this, but it's so strange to think about that with a demi-god. I'll tell Mephiles about this theory in time. I'd do it now but, while he won't admit it, he's a little protective of Iblis… and by that I mean he'll shoot anyone who even thinks about hurting him. That poor mugger didn't stand a chance…

Vector and Knuckles are still around, but this is the first time I've had the chance to get to know Knuckles since a little after we met we separated for that whole 'time' ordeal. Knuckles, as much as I don't want to believe it, is your stereotypical hermit. He's gullible, he's a little lacking in common sense, and he's a short fuse. I know he wasn't as short a fuse before, and I'm willing to bet that no longer guarding the Master Emerald has left him without a security blanket of sorts. He's been doing that his whole life and now that he's free he's confused.

One thing to note about him: he knows vulgar that makes even Shadow blink in disturbed disgust. Knuckles won't do it in the presence of either Wave or Tails, but when it's just the guys (and me) his language gets _really_ colorful. It's not so much that he uses a lot of fancy words. In fact, it's really just one. But he has quite a way to use it: "What the Chaos damned mother flying –bleep– is going on around here!"

Yeah… well, Vector's made himself comfortable. He's quite useful to have around. Other than the fact we have started playing poker when we get the chance not much has changed between me and him. We're friends. What more can I say?

Omega's also an official un-official member. I forgot to mention he was knighted too. He claims to not want to be a person of any kind, as a robot's life is pleasant enough for him. I remember when we first met, him trying to blow me up, me trying to nuke him. Good times, good times. I can't exactly say that we're friends, but he's come with us and I am personally glad to have him as an ally. He's got enough fire power to support every side of WWII three times over. Plus I make good shooting practice for him, as most targets can't handle machine gun bullets.

Jet, as it turns out, is skilled with a sword (his giant fan) and I have two sparring partners to keep my swordplay in shape, the other being Shadow with his samurai sword. He still won't tell me where he got that thing and those other cruddy weapons. I'm jealous. Though that Chicken Vacuum scares the crap out of me. I've seen the videos of that thing sending G.U.N. soldiers to their sudden doom. It was scary watching them die so fast and so swiftly.

Back to Jet and Shadow. I can hardly believe it, but they are video game buddies. I have seen them either trying to outdo each other on Mario Kart or working together to get all the stars on Super Mario 64 (Shadow demanded that they start with the original of the trilogy). I can't get over that. He's still a badass, but he's a badass playing Super Mario Bros. If it isn't his brain that's fried it's mine.

Storm has been trying to be a friend and has thus far succeeded in befriending Knuckles as a close companion despite their former history. And he really gets along with Iblis. Again, this supports my theory, but that shall wait for now.

And Tails, for some odd reason or another, is a lot more confident and carefree than before. I'm really happy to see him like that, but I wonder what happened? I'd figure that with Sonic being… unreasonable, he'd be moping about that and… his love. But he's acting more like a kid than usual and when we have the chance we're simply doing nothing and talking about nothing, as good friends do, I've heard. It's quite fun doing nothing, surprisingly. Doing nothing seems to include free form flying, and Tails showed me that he can dance in the sky. And what a dancer! I'm asking him to teach me some of his moves, 'cause dang, that boy can move.

But… despite all these great things happening to me I'm full of pain. Perhaps more so than I've felt for a while. Why am I feeling such pain? I shouldn't be, really. But I can't help it. I sometimes wonder if I really have changed or if my vile programming still has its grip on me.

The thing is, despite everything, despite my promise to no longer try, I have succeeded. Now that I have given up on it and want to be my own person, I am doing what I was originally programmed to do. What have I done?

I have eliminated Sonic the Hedgehog and taken his place.

I may have not actually eliminated him, but he has been eliminated from his group of friends. He's even been eliminated from the list his rivals made. Was this my doing? Did I cause all this?

I am now Tails closest friend, I am Shadow's and Jet's rival, I am Knuckles' annoyance.

I have taken Sonic's place. Does that mean I have become him? Am I him but better, as Eggman always intended? I… don't want to believe it.

I need to find Sonic. I don't care what his real name is; I just want him to take his life back so I can have one of my own.

And Sonic… why are you doing this? What is it about me that you hate so much? You teamed up with Eggman, for corn's sake. The only time you ever did that was when the Earth was in trouble. And Silver told me you betrayed Eggman when he was being evil. So why?

Is this Figure .09 something to do with it? You said it wasn't completely activated or something. Are you trying to stop me activating it? What is all this madness that I've got my new friends caught in?

Asking questions does nothing unless you are here to answer them. I need to catch you, Sonic, and make you talk. I will have to be faster. I will have to catch the fastest thing alive.

-break-

Metal looked out of the open door over the ground below him. To his left was Tails, appearing ready to jump. Shadow was also looking down. Metal gripped his sword, making sure it was safe in its scabbard and then turned to Vector and Wave. "Keep the radio open in case I call!" shouted Metal over the roar of the wind blowing through the open door.

Vector gave a thumbs up and nodded. "Don't worry boss, you can count on me!"

"Keep those dumb headphones off this time!"

"Alright, alright! Yeesh…"

"Don't be gone long!" called Wave as she sent a wink to Tails.

Tails Blushed through his fur, though Metal failed to notice. "Don't worry; we're just getting the Tornado and a few other things! It shouldn't take too long!"

"Great!" cried Shadow. "You jinxed it! Now when we get down there, there'll be mass mayhem and we'll get caught in the middle of it!"

"Shut up and jump," said Metal as he slapped Shadow over the side. Shadow yelled out as he fell and Metal wondered if he should have let him grab a parachute first. Tails saluted to Vector and Wave, then jumped out next. Metal gave a nod and a salute as well, and leaped out. Wave closed the mechanical door behind him.

As Metal fell, his kilt flailing, he kept his nose pointed down so as to catch up to Tails and Shadow. When he did catch up to them, he quickly performed a back flip with his arms sticking out at the sides and finished with a standard air catching falling position.

Tails grinned and performed a quick spin in the air with his tails spinning around him in a graceful manner.

Shadow grimaced and mouthed 'show-offs'. Shadow ignited his boots and slowed his decent. Tails and Metal followed suit and started spinning tails and igniting a booster, respectively. The three of them descended to right in front of the old wooden train station, and surveyed the area.

It was a lot sunnier than when Tails and Metal were there last even though the sun was setting. Other than that, not much seemed to have changed.

"Nice place to live," said Shadow with a raised brow. "I wonder if anyone's looking to build here…" He raised a hand to his chin.

"And why do you wonder that?" asked Metal in very confused tone. Shadow hardly seemed like the person to care about owning a home.

"No real reason," he stated quickly and harshly, and that was the end of that.

Tails smiled to himself. "Ah, it's nice to be back here after so long. I wonder how much dust my work shop has collected while I was gone?" he said cheerfully.

"Tails!" someone suddenly cried from far away, and the three friends looked in the direction of Tails home to see a young human man, probably in his early twenties, wearing a brown suit running towards them. Tails gasped a little.

"Adam?" said Tails as he waved to the man running to them. Metal waved a hand as well. Any friend of Tails was a friend of his. Well… almost any.

The young man, Adam, came up to them and stopped, huffing and out of breath. "Tails -_pant_- I thought -_pant_ - the beast had -_pant_- got you -_pant_."

"Huh?" Tails said. "What are you talking about?"

"Your house -_pant_- the door -pant- broken down," Adam said, and the next thing he knew he was spinning around from three people zooming past him at super speed. He stopped spinning and looked in the direction Metal, Tails, and Shadow were going,and started yelling after them. "Wait! Tails!"

The three came to a halt at the top of the stone-ish hill where Tails abode was and saw that the door was indeed broken down. They looked at each other for a moment then walked inside.

At first, nothing seemed out of place. The main living quarters and the kitchen were fine. But, as they each expected, the garage was in shambles. All the tools from the carefully organized tool box were spilled onto the floor. All the drawers from the computer desk were pulled out, everything in them a mess on the floor. Even Metal's old armor, which had been put up long ago for memorial reasons, had been torn down from its glass case.

Tails, however, sighed in relief. "Whoo… at least they didn't get the Tornados or the Cyclone…" suddenly his eyes went wide. "Oh no!" He ran over to a corner in the floor, Metal and Shadow following. Tails bent down and lifted a secret panel, revealing a digitally locked safe. He typed in a code really quick, the opened the door as soon it beeped. He sighed in relief again, pulling out…

The Yellow Chaos Emerald?

"What the….?" said Metal as he looked down at his chest.

Shadow 'hmmfed'. "It's the fake, dummy."

Metal looked at the Emerald. "The what?" he asked in astonished disbelief.

"It's a synthetic Emerald," Tails said as he moved to put it back in the safe, but changed his mind halfway through. "I can't believe Eggman didn't put it in your data banks."

"The idiot probably thought it was worthless," said Shadow. "Professor Gerald would be ashamed."

"A synthetic Emerald?" asked Metal.

"I made it by copying the data of a real Emerald. It has the same properties and wavelengths of a real Emerald, but is less powerful."

"But it still packs a punch," said Shadow, his mind wondering to a battle that seemed so long ago.

Metal stared at the synthetic Emerald, failing to show his astonishment. "You made a fake _Chaos Emerald_?" Metal stated more than asked. "Tails… that's… holy shnikies!"

Tails blushed from the praise. "Well, it was just something that seemed like it would come in handy."

Shadow looked around the room. "So, if it wasn't your planes or the fake Emerald they were after, what was it?"

Metal looked around as well then walked over to a particular spot and picked something up. "Someone was looking for something that could break stuff," Metal said, and he showed Tails the four pieces of metal that were once a set of Metal's replacement hands.

Tails gasped and slapped his face. "I should have known Sonic would come here!" Tails shouted.

"What's going on?" asked Shadow.

Before his question could be answered, Adam ran into the room once more out of breath. As he started to speak, Metal interrupted him. "Hold on, cowboy, you need to take a breather."

Adam ignored him. "Pickle -_pant_- hurt -_pant_- needs to speak -_pant_- to you -_pant_," Again, Adam went spinning around, but this time from just one super fast being. Metal stood Adam straight as he was about to topple, and put his hand out. "I'm Metal," said Metal as they shook hands.

Adam caught his breath for a moment and fanned himself with his hand while sitting on some steps. "I know," he said. "You guys are all over the papers. You must be Shadow." Adam looked over at Shadow.

Shadow quirked a brow. It was the first time in a long while that someone had talked to him nicely without first getting to know him. "Uhh, yes. I am."

"I read all about you guys in the past few days newspapers. You're all over the news as the largest group to be knighted in a long time. Everyone calls you 'The Knights of Chaos' because of your past deeds with the Chaos Emeralds. But that's not important right now. Professor Pickle has been attacked by a horrible creature, but no one will believe us! You have to help."

"Told you," said Shadow.

Metal nodded. "And one day I'll learn to listen to you. But it would appear it's time to be heroes again."

"And here I was hoping Jet and I could get started on Sunshine today."

Adam looked a little baffled.

Metal turned away from Adam and started talking to nothing, as it would seem. "Metal to Babylon, come in Babylon." Suddenly very loud rock music blared through Metal's head, startling Adam and causing Shadow to chuckle.

Metal cringed. "Damn it, Vector, I thought I said to shut those things off!"

The music stopped and Vector's voice came through. "Sorry, boss."

"Whatever. We got a code three issue down here and we need to do some reconnaissance. Also need to check on a wounded bystander with vital intelligence."

"Uh…"

"There's a possible bad monster, we're going to check it out. Going to ask a guy that was attacked what he knows."

"Riiiight."

"We might call to send you guys to check out last seen location of the whatever it is. Have someone ready to go, just in case."

"Got it boss"

"Metal out." Metal turned back around. "Well, let's go see how mad Tails is because the train is taking so long."

-break-

Big the Cat sat down in his wooden chair, watching ever so diligently, with Froggy faithfully sitting on his head. He had his fishing pole at his side ready to be pulled out at a moment's notice.

Big was not smart. In fact, he was slow, perhaps even dumb. He'd be the first person to admit that. However, he was still intelligent. It was not because he had a high I.Q. He was slow. That was why he was smart. He did not need fancy leisure in order to be pleased. He understood when something was wrong and when things were fine. He was not smart. He was not easily distracted unless he wanted to be. It did not matter if no one wanted to listen to him. Big knew it was out there. No matter what, he would make sure that creature hurt no one else.

Big hoped that nice professor that gave him a sandwich and that broken robot-man were okay. They were such nice company. That creature could not be very nice if it wanted to hurt such nice people.

Suddenly he heard a rustling in a bush. "Hear that, Froggy?" Big said in his usual slow manner. He stood up, holding his fishing pole in poise for attack. "The mean hedgewolf is back."

-break-

The second they walked into the hospital room where Professor Pickle was in a wheelchair, Tails rushed in and practically crushed P. Pickle's already fragile ribcage.

"Professor!" Tails cries earnestly, his eyes watering a little. "When I heard-"

"Shhh, be calm, Tails" P. Pickle said as he wrapped his not bandaged arm around Tails furry body. "I haven't eaten my last cucumber sandwich yet. Speaking of…?" He turned his head to Adam with a hopeful expression in his old and wrinkled face.

Tails smiled.

Adam bowed his head and presented a paper bag to P. Pickle. "Here you are, sir. Just the way you like them."

Tails moved away and Pickle grinned as he took the bag, nodding approvingly as he took out the contents. "Ah, sliced to perfection. Just the proper amount of cucumber, with a nice and even distribution. Thank you." He offered one to Shadow.

"No thanks," said Shadow, pulling out a burger from his own bag. "I'll just stick with a Big Mac and fries." He then took a forceful bite to show his point.

"I don't see how anyone could stomach those atrocious grease catchers they call food," said P. Pickle. Shadow was wondering nearly the same thing, but his eyes were looking at a different two slices of bread.

"Professor," said Adam as he motioned his arms as if presenting a knight. "This is Metal, the one in the news."

"A pleasure" said Metal while putting his hand out to Pickles. "You must be the one Tails talks of as if you were a step father."

Tails blushed and whined, "Metal! I do not!"

Pickle smiled warmly. "Oh, come now Tails, there's no need to be ashamed. I'm not that old."

"Ha, ha, very funny."

"I've heard quite a bit about you," said Pickle as he reached over to a little table, not quite reaching due to the fact that he was restricted to his wheelchair. Adam walked over and picked up a paper, handing it to P. Pickle. Pickle, in turn, handed it to Metal, who opened it up. Shadow looked over his shoulder and his eyes widened a little. The front pag and the next few pages after it were all about them. Even the fake rumors that usually come with a paper were in a positive note: "Shadow the Hedgehog has sworn his allegiance to the Kingdom of Soleanna, proving him to be a 'Hero'. Guardian Unit of Nations had no comment."

"Awesome," said Metal simply. "I'm touched."

"However," said Pickle as he raised a hand to his chin, "the story made no mention of Sonic either being there or not being there. Perhaps you could reveal more on this situation?"

Shadow and Tails exchanged looks of worry, but Metal answered as if had already written down and memorized the following reply: "Sonic was off saving some other town from doom. You know how it is with teenage heroes these days."

"Ah, quite right, especially with Sonic," said P. Pickle with a nod. "They never like staying put and Sonic is the best example of this."

"Sir," said Adam, "what about the creature?"

"Ah, yes," said Pickle as he wheeled over to the window, looking out at the night sky. "It was about this time two days ago. You see, recently someone found the entrance to the actual ruins of the Mystic Ruins opened, and I, being the knowledge hungry intellectual that I am, decided to check the ruins for secrets myself. When we got there," Pickle turned his chair around, "we were attacked. It was too dark to see, but some huge, ape like monster came and attacked us. It was horrible. With a single swipe, my assistant was sent flying, and I was corned against a wall, a fifteen foot high ledge, and the beast. I got the best look I could, and saw the beast's giant claws and razor sharp teeth. It had a feral look of rage clear in its green eyes. I know it wasn't just some dumb animal, for he picked me up and held me over the edge, almost chuckling as I yelled for him to let me go. And he did. I fell, and was severely hurt from the fall.

"He pounced and attacked again, and almost finished me, but a kind soul attacked the beast and saved me and brought me here."

"Hold on," said Metal while pointing a finger. "Your assistant said that no one believed you. Wouldn't they have to if this someone saved you from it?"

"You'd think so, wouldn't you? But no one listened to him either."

"Who saved you?" asked Shadow as he swallowed the last bite of his burger.

-break-

The Hedgewolf was knocked back, snarling as it got back up. Big kept his intense stare on the beast. The Hedgewolf shot its arm out at Big, impossibly stretching to compensate for the distance between them. Big grabbed the gargantuan hand between his own massive arms.

"You're not very nice," said Big simply. The beast roared and stretched his other arm out, hitting Big hard. Big was knocked back, but only a little ways, and continued to fight.

-break-

"Big?" Tails asked, his surprise not hidden at all.

"You know him?" asked Adam.

Metal nodded. "He's not a sharp fellow, but he's not completely dull either. Like a butter knife. He's still powerful."

Shadow nodded. "Whatever this thing is, it can't be that bad if Big can handle it. Send someone over there to check it out."

Metal nodded and turned. "Metal to Vector, come in Vector." Another blast of music. "Darn it all, next time I'm going to break those things!"

"Whuh oh, what's up boss?"

"You guys are up and I need someone down here. Send some friends to the forest near the canyon wall by Tails's workshop. Look for the temple. Its right near a cliff edge, you can't miss it. There's a monster down there and it's causing havoc."

"Uh, what kind of monster?"

"Big and beefy, but it has only attacked humans. Remember Big? He can handle this thing, so it can't be that bad."

"Gee, I don't know. Big is pretty tough you know."

"Then send Knuckles with whoever goes. Its causing destruction and we need to find it."

"Alright, Knuckles, Jet, and Omega are going."

"Excellent. Send them my regards." Metal turned back around.

Tails suddenly had a thoughtful look on. "Hey Shadow? Where_ were_ you when the planet fell apart?"

Metal looked at Shadow, as did Pickle and Adam.

Shadow sighed. No getting out of this one. "Alright, fine." He huffed. "It all started when Rouge went to the ARK to find out when my birthday was…"

-break-

Jet, Knuckles, and Omega touched down near the ancient ruins of the Mystic Ruins. Jet leaped off his Gear and put it in its compact form, putting it away. Knuckles looked around. "I never got to really notice this place last time I was here," he said to himself. "It's weird to think that my ancestors built this place almost four thousand years ago."

"Enough reminiscing," said Omega in his monotonous way as one of his claws retracted, allowing a canon to pop out. "Search and retrieve is current priority. Must complete mission so as to continue search for Eggman."

"A grudge is a grudge," said jet, pulling out his fan. "But it can't hurt to do a little sightseeing…" he added with a grin.

"Oh no you don't," said Knuckles, his voice rising a little. "I'm not letting you defile my ancestor's sacred ground."

Jet smiled in a taunting way. "Sacred? Man, I wouldn't call your peoples land sacred if they almost destroyed the earth."

Knuckles paused, and his face turned a deep red. "Shut up!" he yelled out. "It's not like you f-" Jet quickly distracted his brain from that word, "people were so f-" he had to do it again, "perfect!"

"Alright, alright, calm down" said Jet, and he turned to Omega. "Yo, Mr. Roboto?"

"Please refrain from calling me that."

"Any life readings or whatever?"

Omega decided it would be a waste of time to correct 'life readings' with 'bio signature'. "Two large beings are currently battling in the southeast. Wait… one of them is moving at a high speed towards us. The other bio-reading is too slow to follow effectively. Suggested course of action: prepare for confrontation.

That's what they did. They waited for the creature in battle ready stances. Omega suddenly shot a missile at the trees when they heard something rustle. An explosion sounded, leaving a smoke could, and again they waited.

Suddenly a giant fist stretched out of the smoke cloud and bashed Knuckles. Jet turned to Knuckles in astonishment, and was caught off guard as he was clawed be the beast. Omega then proceeded to charge his beam cannon, but before he could even input the command, the beast ran out of the cloud and struck.

Omega quickly shot a picture of the creature with his built in camera designed for cataloging purposes. And he felt on odd sensation. He couldn't give a specific word to it. So, he gave it a thought.

"The universe is still broken," he said as his arm was quickly torn off.

-break-

"So let me get this straight," said Tails as he paced. "You went into space, traveled light years from earth, met an alien race, and enraged them all… in an hour?"

"I think it was an hour," said Shadow. "I lost track of time on the planet of the butt-faces."

"Oh, then what happened?" asked P. Pickle excitedly.

Metal shook his head. "I don't believe it. There's no way a whole race of people can get mad just because you said you smelled something funny."

Shadow was about to respond, when Metal suddenly received a transmission from inside his head.

"Hello? Metal!" came Jet's panicking voice.

"Jet?" said Metal hurriedly. "What's going on? What is it?"

"I don't know man, but it's a monster! It tore Omega apart," Shadow's eyes widened, "and me and Knuckles are just barely holding it off! A cat just got here, but I don't know how long his fishing pole will hold out" Metal was confused by that statement for a moment. "Hurry up and get here or something! I can't reach the Blimp for support! This thing's vile, foul… it's **fluffy**!" and the transmission broke out.

Metal suddenly turned and ran out the door.

He had underestimated Big, Metal realized. And thus he underestimated this beast. Now his friends were paying the price.

In mere minutes, Metal landed near the ruins where Jet, Knuckles, and Omega's pieces were. Big the Cat was carrying Jet and Knuckles with his frog still perched on his head. He looked up at Metal as he ran to them.

Whatever had been was gone now.

"Hello metal hedge-person" said Big as he walked over to Metal. "Are you a friend?"

Metal was a little taken a back as big came up to him. He had forgotten how 'big' Big actually was. "Yes. I am Metal. Are they hurt?"

"I will take care of them," said Big as he started to walk away.

"Wait! You didn't answer my question!" Metal cried after him.

"I will take care of them," Big echoed, seeming to be satisfied with this statement.

Metal thought about that for a moment. Maybe if Big could take care of them that meant Jet and Knuckles weren't hurt that bad.

"Watch out for the Hedgewolf!" Big cried out before disappearing into the forest.

"Hedgewolf?" Metal repeated, and he turned to Omega, quickly kneeling next to his main chassis and surveying the damage.

It was only his arm that had been taken off. All of his main programs were still on and no circuitry had been severely cut into through the opening. With some welding, Omega would be fine.

"Omega!" Metal heard Shadow cry and he turned his head to see Shadow and Tails skate and fly up to him, respectively.

"He's alright" said Metal. "Just a torn joint. Some wires will need to be replaced, though."

Shadow's features softened.

"Where are Jet and Knuckles?" asked Tails as he looked around.

"Big took them to heal. That creature is real and it's out there."

Suddenly they heard a howl. It did not come from the forest around them. Rather, it came from the temple they stood close to. From the entrance, they could hear a beast cry out in rage. It had to have been rage, for the howl was nearly a roar.

"Big called it a 'Hedgewolf'."

"A what?" asked Tails, his voice shaking ever so slightly.

"A Hedgewolf," Metal came up to the stone steps. "I don't know what that means, though. No creature categorized in any encyclopedia fits a name like that."

"We should call in some backup," said Shadow as he raised his hand up to his face and put two fingers to his head. "Shadow to Mephiles, come in Mephiles" he called with his mind.

_Shadow?_ came Mephiles's voice from afar. _Are you done down there yet? The rest of us are bored stiffer than… well, a board_.

"That thing that Vector sent someone down here about? It's still down here, and it's powerful."

_How powerful?_

"It took Omega's arm off."

…

"Mephiles?"

_Iblis, Silver, and I will be right there._

"I still can't believe _you _can do that when he was in my head for two weeks."

"What do you want from me? He's got my shade."

-break-

"Iblis," said Mephiles from his end of the checkers board. "We need to go help Shadow and the others."

Iblis was still.

"No, you can't have whatever it is as a pet."

Iblis did not move.

"You can summon little fury things on a whim, why do you want this one?"

Iblis was a statue, save for his ever moving tail.

"Alright, fine, I'll see if I can brain wash it. But only if its mouth isn't bigger than me."

Iblis looked pleased as he clapped his hands together. Mephiles sighed in defeat. Never a dull moment.

-break-

Omega tried hard to speak. But he was trapped. Trapped in his metallic shell until he could be turned back on completely. He wanted to tell them to stop, to tell them of what he knew. There was nothing he could do but wait.

Wait until they killed Sonic the Hedgewolf.

-Author's Note-

If anyone is wondering why this chapter is simply called "Chapter 34," it's because, when I first started the story I didn't give chapter one a name or knew how to do that when first posting a new story. As such, chapter 1 is called chapter 1. Since this is technically a new arc, I decided to call this first chapter of the new arc chapter 34 as a silly homage.

This is that start of a pattern the story ultimately takes. First, a chapter of exposition. Then, a chapter of awesome stuff happening, or at least that's what I'm told. One thing I seriously regret is how little I use Professor Pickle after this. Admittedly, he's a favorite character of mine. Is it too much to ask to have at least one other constant human character that's worth their salt? Yes, I hated Charlie Thorndick, or whatever his name is. But a human character can be good if done right. I was seriously hoping Pickle would be a kind of opposite to Eggman for the Sonic crew. Seriously, Eggman's always using ancient legends and stuff to do his thing. Pickle could have been the one to actually divulge into the legends and actually get them to understand it a bit better.

Anyway, this also starts another thing I started doing; I reference almost directly EVERY Sonic game or universe. I think. There's so much Sonic stuff that I'm sure I've missed something.

Gosh, I wish I was more important. I really want more people to hear my opinions about this. But I'm not popular a too busy to get popular. Oh well, I'll settle for you guys who are awesome enough to read this junky story and my annoying rants.

Sincerely,

The Conflicted Writer


	35. Knights of Chaos Vs the Hedgewolf

**Knights of Chaos vs. The Hedgewolf: Lost in the Lost World**

It was such a calming scene yet eerie in its own way. There was a fountain that was shaped like a serpent's head, two patches of greenery with fallen debris, a pool of water that was no more than two inches deep yet covered a great majority of the ground, and it's old interior giving it a strange welcoming feel to it and at the same time telling them to go no further.

Yet for some reason, as they walked up the steps of this first room already having to leave it to go deeper in, Metal simply had to ask: "How is it that this place is four-thousand years old, yet that fountain is still working?"

Of course no one cared enough to even try and answer. Mephiles, Iblis, Silver, Tails, Shadow, and Metal started walking (for Silver was too slow to keep up with the rest of them) down the long twisting tunnel that led deep into the temple.

"Who designed this place?" Mephiles asked, obviously irritated as they climbed a semi-steep hill that was along the path.

Silver nodded in agreement. "Yeah, this doesn't look like four-thousand years of corrosion and earth shifting. It looks like somebody built it this way."

Metal shook his head. "Are you really surprised by this? I still can't believe some structures built in this day have loops. Where is the logic in that?"

"Silver does bring up on odd point, though" said Tails. "There's no way this place could still be like this on the inside. It should have fallen apart when the earth's tectonic plates moved around. Not to mention the fact that it should have been impossible to build so long ago."

Iblis looked around the tunnel, curiosity evident in his few features.

"I wonder how deep we are?" asked Mephiles, repeating Iblis's question.

Shadow looked half asleep.

Metal took notice of this, and was distracted as the tunnel suddenly dropped downward. Metal fell down, clanging up a storm. Tails quickly ran after him. Silver pursed his lips together, trying not to laugh.

Shadow blinked and shook his head. "Erg, there's so much energy here. It's disrupting my mind."

Iblis took Mephiles's hand and they transcended the steep pit. Silver lifted himself up with his powers and slowly floated down the tunnel.

Metal got himself up from the ground with Tails offering a friendly hand. "This place is designed like a video game level that you run through without really thinking about it," observed Metal with distain dripping from his voice.

"That makes no sense," said Tails while looking ahead of them.

"What? The weird way that this place is designed?"

"Well, yes. But that trap should not still be running." Metal looked at the tunnel that had shifted into a tube shape. It went even further downward, with walls spinning in circles, and blocks of stone shooting out with jets of fire.

Metal looked at the crude yet effective looking passageway and muttered, "This place is cursed or something…"

"It is," said Shadow as the rest of their group caught up. Shadow looked at the flaming tunnel, his eyes wondering from block to black. "I can see channels of Chaos Energy passing through this entire place. There's so much here that it's disrupting my powers slightly. I wouldn't try Chaos Control while we're down here."

"But time travel is still okay, right?"

"As long as you don't break anything."

"Good."

"But how?" asked Tails again.

Metal got in a ready position and spoke, "It doesn't really matter. It's in our way, and we need to get through it." Metal leaped forward and started running and jumping, using his booster at a low level to keep his speed and increase his agility. He swerved in and out of the blocks. One shot out right in front of him, and Metal just barely acted quick enough to jump up and shift his momentum, instead running on the ceiling. He worked his way back down with gravity's pull, and peeped out of the tunnel onto safe ground.

Metal called up the stone shaft, "Think you guys can do that?"

Mephiles replied back down, "I think we have a better way." He turned to his brother and held his hand out to the shaft. "If you please, Iblis."

Iblis nodded and his stone hands glowed with fire. The tunnel slowly came to a halt, and the stone blocks spewing fire also stopped moving. With an almost smug satisfaction, Mephiles and Iblis began walking down.

As they reached Metal, who was standing with his hand clenched and an air of annoyance around him, Silver was grinning stupidly.

"Shut up", said Metal in an exasperated way. "Take the easy way, why don't you?"

"Admit it," said Silver, still amused. "The 'super computer' didn't think things through."

"I said shut up," Metal sighed. "How long do these hallways go on?"

"They just keep heading down," noticed Shadow. "Since they were echidna, it is to be expected."

"Does anyone even know anything about echidna?" asked Mephiles.

Shadow eyes softened. "Professor Gerald knew a lot about them. Before trying to create the Ultimate Life Form, he studied the 'Fourth Great Civilization,' as he called them. There's so much I could tell you, like how the idea of the God of Destruction helped the researchers create the artificial Chaos… but that probably wasn't the best idea."

They reached the end of the tunnel, and in front of them was a chasm filled with spikes. There was a single stone block in the center where one could jump onto to avoid the spikes and then use to reach the ledge that continued down the path.

Mephiles shook his head. "Is this supposed to be a challenge?"

Metal's voice seemed to grin for him. "This place was built without the idea of such advances in the world. They didn't expect people like us." Metal ignited his booster and shot forward making it to the ledge in a single jump. Silver lifted himself up with his powers and floated across. Tails revved up his tails and flew. Iblis leaped across the spike pit with his cat-like reflexes (technically, he isn't a cat), easily making it in a single jump. Shadow and Mephiles did the same. Once they were all across, they moved towards the giant blue stone snake head that was the entrance to the next room/trap.

Iblis suddenly stopped.

Mephiles stopped as well. "What is it?" Mephiles looked at the other end of the bridge they had just stepped on. "You're not afraid of a snake head, are you?"

Iblis shook his head.

"What then?" asked Mephiles.

Shadow sniffed the air. "Chaos. A huge mass of it. What's it doing this time?"

Metal walked up the stairs that was the stone snake head's mouth, with Tails next to him. When they reached the back of the 'throat', they paused. Once again, Chaos had won over logic.

Metal stuck his hand in the room and pulled it back out. His hand was now wet. Nothing more, at least. But this side of the mouth was dry. Tails took a breath and stuck his head in, followed by the rest of him. He _swam_ up a little, looking around the incredibly tall room. Tails then swam back out, his fur soaking wet. The other stared, quite amazed.

(A/N: This is describing an actual game glitch in 'The Lost World' level of Sonic Adventure, at least the Gamecube version. If you fill up the water snake room enough to fill the first floor, at least, and try to exit the same way you came in, the room would be dry. When you go back to the water room, it would still be filled with water, unless you had gone too far away, in which case the room will reset itself. But I'm not going to bother with that fact in the story.)

"I use to always think physics was such a cruel mistress," thought Mephiles out loud. "But I guess when a race of earth diggers sucker punch your work in the face, you'd be mad too."

"Sooo," Silver drew out slowly, "what do we do now?"

"What do you mean?" asked Metal. "We swim."

"Uhhh," Silver said while his cheeks turned red. "I can't swim…"

"Iblis is a cat. And made of fire, that's two strikes for him," Mephiles claimed.

"Can you swim?" asked Metal to Shadow, sounding almost irritated.

"Yes. Yes I can."

Tails nodded, his mind wondering way back in time. "Can't you use your powers to move yourself through water?"

Silver was shivering slightly. "No, I can't. I get too gripped with fear to concentrate."

Shadow rubbed his forehead. "Please tell me you can swim because you're my shade," said Shadow, sounding exasperated.

"As long as I hold someone's arm," said Mephiles. "We can carry Silver with us easy enough, but what about Iblis?"

Iblis was sitting down with his arms crossed, looking like a two year old who didn't want to eat his vegetables.

Metal walked into the water room, activating his hydro booster so he could move underwater easier. He looked at the top, and noticed a single moon beam shining down. He inwardly cursed this place. They had just gone down by fifty feat (so said his internal systems), and now they had to head back up. Metal noticed something moving along the top of the water with ease. Using binocular vision, he saw that it was a stone snake. Further analysis revealed it to be completely made out stone. Nothing else.

Metal almost missed how simple the world had seemed before going on this insane adventure.

Metal looked around, noticing a giant bottomless looking pit in the center. To his left was a ledge that has another stone block that could be used for jumping, and a ledge with a ceremonious looking giant button that he could stand on. He floated over it and let his weight push down the surprisingly weak switch. The water lever drained to the first level, and the stone snake, still moving along the water, fell too. Metal jumped slightly, taking note of how fast the button raised up, and pushed back down on the switch. The water level fell again, this time to the bottom of the path Metal had stood on. The others walked in the now semi-dry room.

"Platforming," Metal groaned. "How fun…"

-break-

He was not having fun.

First he was hired by some robot guy to come to this nutty temple. That wasn't so bad. But he didn't really like the objective. He had been exploring this place for two days now. No luck. It didn't help that this entire place was designed like some semi-thought out, speed based video game.

Then there was that ape like wolf thing. That proved to be an annoyance. It had almost minced him twice now. What the heck was it? It almost reminded him of an old rival, but that was so long ago. It's not like that hedgehog could have pooled together the earth's energy in this temple and transformed, right? Besides, after a few hits in the chest with some lead that thing decided it was best to leave him alone.

"Focus, Fang," he said to himself. "You're an archeologist today, not a hunter." Though he would have preferred that job. But in this day and age he had to improvise.

Sure, some might say that it was a waste of skills to be a freelance bounty hunter when he was skilled in practically everything that could be imagined. A few days ago, he had been a surgeon. Before that, a submarine captain. Before that, a pirate. He could do nearly anything he set his mind to. Some would call it a gift. He would just call it determination. And fun. What was the point of having all these skills if he was only going to do one thing? So he does anything for money. Not because he's greedy, but because it's fun. Though he will not hunt for Emeralds of any kind. That is on his short list of things he cannot do.

"Crikey," he said to himself when he pulled out a loose stone from the wall of this odd house like building. Imagine that: a little stone shrine inside a big temple. It looked like it could have been a beach house, what with the sand and water all around it. The funny thing though, he found foot prints in the sand that were running shoe like that lead into and out of the building, as if someone had simply run right through for the fun of it.

The loose stone revealed to hold paper, ancient and old, tarnished yellow. He could hardly believe that ancient Egyptian paper had been used and carried here to the other side of the world. Quite the traveler this person was.

Unfortunately, the paper was not his objective. What was on it was. He had to write down what was on it on separate paper by hand and put the stuff back so as not to damage it. Cruddy rules. But he was strapped for cash after that visit to Casino Nights. He couldn't afford to mess this one up.

He took of his hat and from it pulled out a bunch of paper, a pencil, and a clip board and began to read out loud as he sorted through the old paper while writing what it said down.

Was it failed to mention that he was also a linguist who knew almost every language you could think of?

"Let's see here" he said to himself. "'The three wise, and the three fools, as recorded and remade by'… how do you say that? S. Workman? Recorded by S. Workman. Jeez, that guy must 'a hated his mum. Right, 'Once there were three lords with great powers, Agunus the master of Earth, Nusgau the master of Wind, and Suguna the master of Water. They ruled with grips of iron, and held the world, literally, in their grasp. They were a group, and though they despised each other they knew how to work together to reach their ends. But, despite all their power, they were not happy. Not until one of them controlled Fire, the most powerful element, next to Nothing. They each plotted to get a hold of fire by using the great light the circles the earth'.

"What twits. Didn't even know that it's the other way around yet. Ahh, what the… there's a page missing. Darn. Guess I'll give him what's here and demand full pay anyway, heh, heh…

"'Some say that these saviors were destined to come forth. Others say it was just a fluke. Some say it was both. No matter what the cause, three travelers came to the kingdoms from afar. How far, non other than the travelers knew.'" Suddenly he heard something that sounded like snarling, and he pulled out his good ol' six-shooter while looking out one of the four doorways. The snarling was echoing, so it must have been farther out. But it only snarled like that when it had prey. The poor saps.

-break-

Mephiles and Iblis leaped off the stone snake and onto the stone path. Though it was an easy jump, Iblis curled up as if his life was in danger, which, in a sense, it might have been.

Metal shook his head. "Come on, that creature is close. I can feel it in my Emerald."

Tails spoke as they started walking, "Can you really?"

"Well, yes, actually."

Tails looked thoughtful. "Could it be some kind of Chaos monster then?"

Shadow suddenly cried, "Damn it all!" He seethed a little. "We could have just flown here."

The rest of them ran up to Shadow and starred out at a vast expanse of trees, with temples similar looking to the one they had entered sticking out here and there. They all groaned, except Iblis.

"That's aggravating," Silver said while rubbing his forehead. "All that jumping around for nothing."

Mephiles shook his head dejectedly, but suddenly froze. "Darkness…" he whispered.

"What?" asked Shadow.

Mephiles suddenly shot out a bolt of energy while crying out, "Chaos Lance!" The blast zipped past Metal and struck a giant fist that had almost hit him.

Silver saw the creature, and on a reflex activated his powers and grabbed the beast with his mind. The beast roared in rage, but it could not move no matter how much it struggled.

Metal nodded at Mephiles. "Thanks, Meph. Good call."

Mephiles bowed his head a little. "It was nothing. This thing is made out of Darkness, or something similar to that. I could sense it. But I wonder why I couldn't until it was so close?"

Iblis tapped Mephiles on the shoulder, his eyes becoming hopeful.

Mephiles sighed. "Yes, its mouth is obviously smaller than me. Let's take a good look at it, though." Mephiles, Iblis, Shadow, Silver, and Metal walked up to the creature as it was held in the moon's full light. Tails, however, had frozen. The others did too, once they had a good look at it.

It was just as Professor Pickle described. Big, beefy arms, large hands and claws, razor sharp teeth. Even the green eyes in rage. But there was more. There were a pair of red cleats with a white strip along the middle of each one. It had a muzzle, similar but bigger than Shadow's. It had pointed ears at the top of its head. On its back were two very large spikes. On its head were six quill like pieces of fluff that were tipped white. But there was one detail Pickle had not noticed with this creature, obviously. And it was one that, in a special way for each of them, scarred them.

The beast was blue.

"No…" Metal could hear Tails whisper. "It… can't be real. Something's not right. Someone… cursed him. Yeah… that's it." Tails didn't sound very sure, Metal noted.

Mephiles's pupils dilated a ways. He had nothing to say.

Shadow took a step back. "It can't be him," said Shadow. "It must be a trick. Someone's just trying to mess with us. Just because its blue- it can't be him."

Metal took a few more steps back then Shadow, noticing that those emerald green eyes were filled with rage. And all that rage was directed at him. "Sonic," he said, echoing all the other's thoughts. "What happened to you? Did you… let this happen?"

Silver tried hard not to let his mind lose control. It was hard, considering his surprise.

Iblis, who had known the creature in only a few ways, was also baffled, though perhaps not on a degree as strong as the others. He reached out his stone hand and felt the beast's fur, and recoiled in shock, gripping at his hand.

"It's so angry," said Mephiles, speaking Iblis's thoughts. He paused. "It wants Metal."

Metal looked down at the ground, unsure of what to say. If that was the case, there was no question.

It was Sonic. Now he was a Hedgewolf. It seemed the best word to describe him, after all.

Tails ran up to Metal and wrapped his arms around his torso. Metal held on to Tails, wishing he could feel him.

The Hedgewolf snarled and roared, struggling in the gripless grip of Silver's mind.

Suddenly a blast of energy exploded out of the Hedgewolf, knocking every back, including Silver. The Hedgewolf was released, and he now glowed a fierce blue. He grabbed Silver and tossed him over the cliff, down to the forest below. The Hedgewolf turned to Metal and smiled viciously. He pulled back a fist at let it go. For about half a second Metal was confused, for there was a seven foot difference between where they stood. Metal was caught off guard, then, when that was made up by the Hedgewolf's ability to rip-off Mr. Fantastic and stretch his arm out, the size of the fist expanding as well. Metal was hit hard and he was only lucky enough to get slammed against the stone equivalent of tourist rails instead of falling down.

The Hedgewolf was about to advance, but a singe of fire suddenly hit his back. The Hedgewolf growled and turned. Mephiles, in his crystal statue form, and Iblis, now being completely made of fire and covered in stone armor in the likeness of a ninja almost, were in battle ready stances.

The Hedgewolf reeled his arm back, but it was grabbed by someone. The Hedgewolf turned his head, and saw… Iblis?

The first Iblis and Mephiles charged forward and struck the Hedgewolf hard it the jaw. The first Iblis vanished in a portal. With his other hand the Hedgewolf grabbed at Mephiles, but Mephiles simply blipped out of existence and appeared right in front of the Hedgewolf, giving it a powerful uppercut. The Hedgewolf gave a strange sounding 'oof!' and Iblis swung the Hedgewolf over himself and slammed him hard into the ground. The Hedgewolf, still glowing, quickly spun around on its head, swinging his arms around and sent Mephiles and Iblis away as if they were toothpicks.

A second Mephiles appeared and latched to the Hedgewolf's back. "Run!" cried Mephiles. "It's you he wants! We'll hold him off!"

Metal had gotten back up with Tails next to him helping. They had frozen, unsure what to do.

It's a good thing Shadow knew. He quickly grabbed Tails by the scruff of his neck and Metal by his arm and ran forward, dragging them along.

The Hedgewolf roared, but he was restricted as the two demi-gods held him back.

The next room was pitch black save for the flaming arrows that were shooting out from the darkness. Shadow dragged Metal and Tails until he tripped on something. Metal stood up. "Are you okay?" he asked Shadow.

"Yeah," Shadow replied through his teeth. "My shin's out but it will be fine in a minute. What was that?"

Metal activated his night vision. "It appears to be a mirror…" said Metal questioningly. He hoisted Shadow over his shoulder and offered his hand to Tails.

Tails look was near blank as he reached out for it. They suddenly heard the Hedgewolf howl. "Let's go!" said Metal hurriedly. Tails grabbed his hand and Metal pulled him along through the darkness. A darkness that seemed as empty as Tails's soul felt.

-break-

"'The first of the three travelers was a kind and gentle woman. At her side she always had a sick little creature that she cared and loved for with all her heart. If ever someone was full of darkness when their heart need not be, she was able to, not cleanse them, nor purge, but help the soul accept the darkness. In her time there the mistress helped a demon who was not a demon, but a soul who had been infected with a demon. She trained the soul to think for himself, and helped the soul take the darkness and shape it his way. Many followed her, always asking for a gentle kiss. Her love seemed to cure any illness a person had and she always believed in the least cruel punishment, if possible. Some called her the God of Kindness. Others said she was a saint. But her real name was Logan. She was the most influential of the three travelers.'

"Cripes, how mushy can you get? A lady takes care of a dog, and she's a saint. Whatever.

"'The second of the three was the darkest of them. Some have said he who speaks does not know, and those who know do not speak. This person did speak a lot, yet only when asked and claimed to know nothing, yet he gave much happiness with his words. He spoke of the universe and how he believed it worked, always saying that it was how he thought and that he could be wrong. Doing so caused people to listen more. He gave people the enjoyment of a never ending sequence of destruction and peace, showing them that they coexisted and that perfect order would be imperfect. He spoke of Chaos, the energy and the idea, which filled the universe and brought forth both joy and misery. He gave them a void, and something to fill that void with. He knew of horror, and spoke of death as if it were his dear friend, but always had a single ray of light come from his words. He attacked everything in life with a mix of extraordinary genius and naïve incompetence, and it was often hard to tell which was which. Some called him the God of Chaos. Many called him Thy Master. He only let other know him as Madhog.'

"Now this sounds like my kind of guy. I bet he always improvised what he did and did it on a whim. Probably let the universe control 'im, or 'flow where the win' takes 'im' or something stupid like that.

"'The third traveler was actually one of Madhog's followers, who had followed his semi-teachings with glee. When he spoke it was of balance, and the lack of balance. He spoke as if everything was in half, that light and dark were two halves, that light had a negative and a positive, that dark had a negative and a positive, that a positive had a positive and a negative, and so on and so forth. He believed much in exceptions, that the greatest happiness could be spoiled yet, and that it was never too late to escape pain and be happy. He said that there was always room for error, that you could never be sure of anything. If a man had gained a fine home and a marvelous wife, he would warn them that misfortune could be just sneaking up on him. If a man had lost everything to his name, he would say that there is still hope. Some called him the God with Two Faces. Others called him the Messenger of Uncertainty. He called himself conflicted. But his true name was Antony.'

"Heh heh, I bet this guy got on everyone's nerve's with all 'is arguing. I wonder how a guy like that could be called a messiah?" He heard someone yell out in terror. They probably just went down the waterfall.

-break-

Shadow, Metal, and Tails fell into the water below, which was, unfortunately, only a foot deep. That didn't bother Metal on account of the fact he was metal. The other two felt their faces meet the hard stones at the bottom.

Shadow stood up, his muzzle red. "Oww…" he said, sounding surprisingly not hurt.

Tails stood up and rubbed his head. "Think it's safe to stop?"

"We can't stop," said Metal as he started wading through the water (they are only three feet tall or something. A foot of water would be pretty high to them). "He's coming and there's no stopping him."

"Metal!" called Tails. "Where are we going? We can't run forever."

Shadow ran up to Metal and flipped him around. "He's right. We need to end this sooner or later. Why not sooner?"

Metal looked down. "Why not later?"

"Metal…" Tails asked. "Are you afraid?"

Metal turned around, unable to meet their gazes. "I am, Tails. For two reasons. I have never beaten him before. Why would now be different?"

"Because you have us this time," Shadow said while placing a hand on Metal's shoulder. He couldn't feel it, but it was comforting all the same.

"Even still… I'm scared. And besides that… I don't want to hurt him."

"But you hate him," said Shadow. "And I'm personally not fond of him myself. Just hit him a couple of times and we're done."

Metal shook his head and was about to respond, but he stopped. "He's coming down the waterfall… move." Metal started to run down the tunnel at the end of the water way, avoiding more fire blocks. Shadow and Tails hurried to catch up.

Soon they came across s steep slope that went even further down. They heard the snarling and turned around. The Hedgewolf, in his feral way, was running towards them. Metal, Shadow, and Tails began to boost/skate/run/fly down the path, the Hedgewolf coming up behind them. Shadow could almost feel his breath on his shoulder. In fact, he could. Shadow turned his head, and found he was face to face with the Hedgewolf, and he could smell its breath.

Smelled like… chili dogs?

The Hedgewolf clawed at Shadow but he jumped into the air, gaining a lot of distance between them. While still air born, he turned and shouted, "Chaos Spear!" His signature attack shot out and the Hedgewolf was hit. He started to roll down the slope as if a boulder and was catching up to Tails and Metal.

But that didn't really matter considering they could fly. And as the Hedgewolf flew off of the ski like jump at the end of the slope, Metal couldn't help but laugh. According to his math, the Hedgewolf was moving so fast, he would slam into the wall high above the pathway. Metal's math was rarely wrong. Unfortunately, Shadow was in the same boat.

-break-

"'Agunus, Nusgau, and Suguna brought forth the three travelers to their royal courts and demanded that they stop filling the people's heads with lies. Madhog made a point of saying it was only his opinions he gave. Antony claimed he only spoke the truth. Logan said she had only offered people kindness. But the three kings would not yield in their anger. Their plans had nearly been ruined by these three travelers. So they said that Order had to be brought to the Chaos the three travelers had brought.'"

He stopped. He heard what sounded like two jets and a really small helicopter. He pulled his gun out again and looked out the door.

-break-

Shadow stopped. "Keep going. I'll hold him off."

Metal and Tails, not needing to be told twice, continued through the sand of this room.

Shadow turned around, crouched down ready to strike. The Hedgewolf ran in and Shadow immediately uppercut the beast square in the jaw. He used his jet shoes, and somehow there was enough force to send the Hedgewolf into the ceiling.

"And that's how it's done, Italian style, Sonic," Shadow said in with a grin. "What's the matter? A little too much for you to handle?"

The Hedgewolf peeled itself off the ceiling and landed far away from Shadow. Shadow grinned and was about to shoot forward when he was struck.

The Hedgewolf slapped him. And by that it is meant that the Hedgewolf clapped his hands together with Shadow between them. And the hands had grown in size.

The Hedgewolf released his hands and continued running after his prey. Shadow was, in a sense, flattened. His expression was that of confusion. He had not expected that. He fell forward, trying not to land his face directly in the water.

He came up to Shadow and kneeled next to him, lifting his hat up so as to see better. "Well, I'll be a kangaroo in Las Vegas" he said in an Australian accent. "Did you call that thing Sonic? As in, the Hedgehog?"

Shadow scrunched his eyes and grimaced. "Who are you?"

The purple weasel smiled a smile that was half friendly and half devious. "My acquaintances and employers call me Fang the Sniper. But my enemies call me Nack the Weasel. It looks like you're hurt there, boy-o. Are you an acquaintance or an enemy?"

Shadow breathed heavily, taking notice of his fractured ribcage. It wouldn't take long to heal, but being in a pool of water wasn't going to help. "I could use some help, Fang."

Fang grinned. "An' what's your name? Can't be right acquaintances without me knowing your name."

Shadow groaned. "Shadow the Hedgehog."

Fang pulled Shadow's arm around his shoulder and carried him over to the stone hut. "True ripper, ay? Any relation to Sonic? Just kiddin', I know all about you. So, you didn't answer my question; was that Sonic right there?"

"…"

"Your silence says it all, mate. I met Sonic once. Wasn't quite so fluffy last time I met 'im, of course." Fang leaned Shadow against a wall. "I'd take you back to the surface now, but I'm nearly done with my job 'ere, so give me a minute. You'll owe me a favor though."

Shadow grinned to himself. He wouldn't need the Weasel's help in a minute.

"So, 'ow much did your creator tell ya 'bout the legends of the Fourth Great Civilization?"

-break-

The Knight and the Beast clashed in midair and bounced back. The Knight resonated with light so bright. The Beast poured darkness wherever it stepped. Again they struck at each other, but to no avail. Neither would yield.

The Knight held out his hand, and even more wisps of light resonated from his hand, ensnaring the Beast. The Beast struggled in the grip of the wisps but it could not break free. With a forceful tug, the Knight pulled light right from the beast's heart. The light danced around the Knight, and the Knight stepped forward, raising his mighty blade to vanquish the darkness that was left.

But, unbeknownst to the Knight, the light snuck upon him. How could the Knight not feel it? How could he not feel the hateful light's radiance?

The Knight raised his blade so as to strike the Dark Beast, and the light prepared to do away with the Knight.

'No… no… don't do it… Metal-'

-break-

"Stop!" screamed Jet as he rolled out of the hammock he had been laying on. He quickly jumped back up, frazzled from his nightmare.

"Hello, green hawk," said the cat that had helped them earlier. Jet looked around, noticing Knuckles on a similar hammock and Big cooking fish on an open fire.

"Uh, hi," said Jet uncertainly as he felt his forehead, noticing his goggles were gone. "What happened?"

"That mean old Hedgewolf hurt you" stated Big as he handed jet a plate of cooked fish.

Again, Jet looked uncertain, but took the plate. "Thanks," he said. He took a wooden fork and was about to take a bite, but stopped. "Did you say Hedgewolf?"

Big nodded, giving some fish to Froggy, who took it gratefully. "He was big and mean, and wanted to hurt you. I stopped him."

"I get that, but what do you mean, Hedgewolf? It was half wolf and half hedgehog?"

"Yep. It had claws and teeth like a wolf and quills like a hedgehog, just like Mr. Sonic."

Just like Sonic.

"Mr. Metal went to take care of it. I'm sure he'll do fine. Do you want your fish?"

Jet didn't answer. He quickly grabbed his extreme gear and bolted. He had to stop Metal before it was too late.

-break-

The rooms just seemed to keep going on and on, thought Metal. At least they were safe up here.

Tails held tightly to Metal, on Metal's request. Metal did not want to be alone with the Hedgewolf.

"What are we going to do," asked Metal.

"Metal?" asked Tails meekly as he saw the Hedgewolf run into the room. "Why don't you want to hurt Sonic anymore?"

Metal sighed his fake sigh. "It's a combination of many different things, Tails. I don't want you to be disappointed in me, first off. Then there's the fact that I wouldn't exist because of Sonic."

"So, you think you owe him your life?"

"For what little life I have, yes." Metal turned to the Hedgewolf to see it pressing a large button with his mighty fist. "What's he doing?" Some panels on the wall moved and red triangles glowed along them. To Metal they almost looked like they made a pathway.

Tails suddenly yelled out in fear. The Hedgewolf _was_ using the panels as a pathway. That led straight up. And defied gravity.

Metal and Tails quickly stood up as the Hedgewolf pressed another button, creating a new path… that lead right to the ledge they stood on.

Metal and Tails quickly used their own respective ways to fly and hovered in the center of the room, trying to get as far away from the Hedgewolf as possible. They tried to stay away from the walls, hoping that he couldn't create another pathway that led higher up.

But the Hedgewolf didn't need any pathway. With a large leap and an impossible second jump in the air (How did he do that?), the Hedgewolf grabbed Metal's feet and they struggled in the air. The Hedgewolf swung at Metal's chest, but missed as Metal tilted backwards. Metal swung himself in a quick circle, hoping to lose the Hedgewolf, but he held on and this time managed to nail a blow at Metal's head. Metal shifted his left hand into a machine gun and aimed for the Hedgewolf's face. His gun shook violently as he tried to fire. But he could not do it.

Tails landed on the Hedgewolf's back and cried "I'm sorry Sonic!", and he pulled the Hedgewolf's eyelids back. The Hedgewolf roared in pain and let go of Metal. Metal flew upwards suddenly from the lack of weight.

The Hedgewolf smashed into the ground below and Tails tried to fly away. The Hedgewolf grabbed his tiny form, in comparison to the Hedgewolf's and slammed him into a wall. The Hedgewolf reeled back and sent his fist at Tails skull.

And after he had done this, the Hedgewolf paused. His look of rage gave way to a look of worry. He pulled his hand back from the wall, and held Tails limp body in his hands.

And the Hedgewolf's eyes began to tear up.

Metal flew past the Hedgewolf and gabbed Tails body. The Hedgewolf's sadness went away and the rage returned as if it had always been that way.

Metal scanned the room (figuratively and literally) for an opening of any sort. And he saw it. He flew to a hole in the wall that led to another hall. He flew in and ran. He didn't care about where it led, or how much farther into the earth it took him. He had to get them away. He had to help Tails. It was an irony, then, that after running around a loop-de-loop pathway that it happened.

Now, of all times, the rooms ended. It was a dead end. Metal was too frantic to look around completely, but he could run no further. They were trapped.

He heard the snarling. Metal turned to look down the path they had come, and he was coming. The Hedgewolf was charging, a look of glee mixed with his rage. Metal stood stock still. He could not fight. He could not run. So he would die.

Just as the Hedgewolf was about to enter the room, a stone wall closed right in front of him, sealing him out.

Metal was still. Had that just happened? Why did that door close _now_?

Whatever the reason, Metal did not care. Even though he could hear the Hedgewolf beat the door, it was obvious from how it was muffled that he was not getting in anytime soon. Metal walked up the nearby steps, and place Tails down on the floor in front of a mosaic. "Tails…" Metal whispered, looking at his silent face. His eyes were closed, and he was not moving. "Please… don't let this be it… not after everything. I still haven't kept my promise to you… I can't lose you, Tails. I would be lost without you. If you died… I'd die."

Metal held his hands together in prayer. "Please, whoever or whatever you are. Chaos, if you are there. Please don't let this boy die. He doesn't deserve it. I would give up my own life if I had to… just let me see that cute little child's smiling face again…"

"Gee, am I really cute?" Metal jumped and yelped, falling on his back. Tails laughed.

"Tails!" said Metal frantically.

Tails grinned. "I've been traveling with Sonic for ages. Doing that will make your head pretty hard." Tails tapped his skull with his knuckles to prove his point.

"But-you weren't moving! I couldn't detect any vital signs!"

"I'm a fox, Metal. Playing dead is natural for me." Tails grin went away. "Do you really feel that way about me?" asked Tails, his eyes watering.

Metal stood back up. Again, a hug was shared between the two. "With all of what little heart I have."

Tails shoved Metal away. "Would you stop saying stuff like that?" his eyes still leaking tears. "You have a heart. It's just as good as Sonic's. Maybe even-" Tails stopped himself.

Metal looked down. "Better," Metal finished for him.

Tails began to cry. Metal held him, despite his own inner turmoil. "I don't know what to think," Tails softly cried into Metal. "He was my first friend… I need him."

"I understand Tails… but… am I just as good as him, or am I better?"

Tails gulped. "Metal… if I were to be honest… you are better in some ways. I'm just so confused."

Metal let go of Tails and clenched his fist. He pounded it against the ground. "Metal?"

"So it's true… I'm Sonic but better. Just as Eggman always wanted." His fist shook slightly.

Unbeknownst to them, the water pools around them began to darken.

"Metal, no. You're not Sonic but better. You're… in some ways, just better." Tails closed his eyes, and turned away.

The water grew darker.

Metal walked over to the water, looking at his reflection. "Am I?" said Metal, half in anger, half in despair. He swatted at his reflection.

And the darkness struck.

Darkness and lightning suddenly attacked the hand that had hit the water and held him tight in place. Metal screamed and contorted, writhing on the ground. Whatever it was he had that was like a soul _felt_ like it was on fire.

Tails ran over to Metal and grabbed him, trying to pull him out. The darkness seemed to scream, and Metal pulled his hand free. Metal fell back, and Tails gasped. Metal's right arm had completely changed shape. But it was a shape he recognized.

The glove that was once on his hand was gone. In its place were claws. The warlock like cuff was still there, but now there was a ring of spikes around the edge. His shoulder had changed to a pure black shoulder guard in the shape of a spike. And Metal's metallic equivalent of a face had changed slightly. The right eye had become sinister and vicious. His 'nose' was now sharper and pointy. A single 'quill' had become sharp and straight. The rest of him was the same.

"Metal?" Tails asked shakily.

"Jeez, what happened?" said Metal, sounding fatigued and shaking his head.

"Metal, your arm!"

"Hmm?" Metal looked at his arm, and gasped. "What happened!" he said again. "Get it off, get it off!" Suddenly a bolt of lightning shot out of his hand, missing Tails and singeing the wall. After that Metal looked at his hand again. It had returned to normal.

Metal sighed. "For the third time: what happened?"

Tails looked at the pool of darkness. He pulled out the Fake Emerald he had taken with him. "It's the earth's energy," said Tails. "The Dark part. Like from… Dark Gaia." Tails waved the stone over the darkness and it recoiled, leaving nothing but water. "This Emerald was designed to reverse the effects of the other emeralds and draw in power. It's drawing in power, but only from the light side. The darkness is fleeing. But why?"

"Geez, Tails, it's a good thing you know how to use Chaos energy, or I'd be toast," said Metal in gratitude.

Tails looked confused. "What do you mean? I don't know how to use Chaos energy. Except in a machine."

"What are you talking about? What about just now?"

"That was the Fake Emerald."

"Tails… you don't know it? Every time you fly, a stream of Chaos energy spins around your tails. It's what's keeping you up."

"No, that's just my tails spinning around…" Tails sentence lost power as he said it.

"Honestly? You believe that spinning your tails around can make you fly, even though, taking into account anatomy, spinning both around at the same time would cause them to tangle up in just the first two seconds? Not to mention the fact that they aren't shaped properly for lift. That kind of thing only happens in T.V. shows and games where the creators obviously don't care about plot."

Tails stared at Metal intently, yet with curiosity. "Metal," he said. "I have an idea. But I need you to fight Sonic with me."

"But-"

"You said you owe him your life. Do you want him to be that _thing_ forever?"

"Well, no."

"Then, to help Sonic, we need to fight him." Tails held out his hand.

And again, the two of them shook hands. "I'll help Tails. You know I'll do whatever you say. What do you need me to do?"

Tails grinned sheepishly. "Show me how to work this thing," he said, as he held up his Fake Emerald.

Metal took it. It felt like it had all the power of a real Emerald. "We don't have time to get too technical. So, we'll have to improvise. This might hurt…"

-break-

"'Madhog warned them, saying the one thing he knew for sure: 'Bringing Perfect Order to a world full of Chaos would create something horrible. In Perfect Order, no one would have freedom, including you kings.' Antony claimed that they had already gone too far in controlling the water, wind, and earth. If they dared to control fire, the fire would control them. Logan beseeched them, saying to accept their already great power and not harm anyone else. But the kings' plans had already started.'"

"Do you have to read out loud?" asked Shadow as he covered his face with a hand.

"It helps me write," said Fang. "I'm nearly done, so keep your fancy shoes on… or off. Shut up."

"'The kings had gathered their powers together and had created an ark with which they could soar through the sky, at the cost of many a man's freedom. The three travelers, however, would not let the kings proceed now that they knew this. And so, as they sat in the prison the kings had sent them to, they pooled what little power they had and cursed the ark. But the trip the kings planned was already cursed. The three kings had each intended for the other a gruesome end. They proved the three traveler's point, showing that order could not exist effectively as long as there was freedom. Unfortunately, this point was deadly to all. The three kings each pulled their tricks on the other, intending to slaughter, but their free desire's for order conflicted, and the curse the travelers had placed sent them into the sun.

"'The three kings fell to the great light in the sky and they controlled fire. Yet, just as the travelers had said, the Fire controlled them. They lost their freedom to each other and their minds became one, now the new king Naugus, the master of all. From his newfound powers over fire, Naugus created a 'Void' filled with the darkness of the shadow his flame cast.

"'Naugus returned to the kingdoms, showing all his grotesque form, and he had his order at the price of all other's freedom. But the travelers would not yield to Naugus's order. They would have died first. Logan held her sick animal friend close to her, Antony grinned and was ready to accept his fate, and Madhog looked solemn as if he did not want this. 'It is time we unleashed the true meaning of Chaos to this fool,' Madhog proclaimed. Naugus laughed at the travelers. 'How can Chaos help you?' he asked. 'Chaos is wild and destructive. Destruction cannot destroy me! Unleashing Chaos will be your undoing.' Antony laughed this time. 'Foolish Naugus! Just because Chaos is destruction does not mean that is all it can do. To be Unleashed, or to be free, does not necessarily mean to be wild…'"

-break-

The Hedgewolf pounded weakly against the stone door, obviously low on breath. He stopped and waited for a moment, trying to think things through.

Then the door decided to open. The Hedgewolf leaped up, ready to strike. But suddenly a bolt of yellow light escaped the room he had been attacking and knocked him back. The Hedgewolf was forced far back, past the loop, past the flaming blocks, and into the Wall Way room. The Hedgewolf fell from the hole in the room and down to the floor below. He stood up, and faced his opponent.

Tails faced the Hedgewolf. But he was different. His gloves and shoes were coated in yellow energy in the shape of feral claws. In one hand he held the Fake Chaos Emerald. His eyes glowed an ethereal yellow as well, and his expression was much like that of the Hedgewolf's; angry.

Metal stepped to the edge of the hole they had just come from. "And thus, Tails has been unleashed. Though we will find he is not wild. He is simply free."

The Hedgewolf slapped his hands together, extending them and enlarging them so as to crush his foe.

But Tails was too quick. Tails leaped/ flew back (without his tails), away from the attack, then charged forward, swiping at the Hedgewolf's snout, and succeeding in hitting it. The Hedgewolf howled and grabbed Tails in a might fist. Before he could do anything more, Metal crashed into him and smashed him against a wall. Metal flew back, pulling out his mystic blade, in the shape of a crescent moon. The Hedgewolf pulled back a fist and shot it forward. A lightning shield formed around Metal, and the Hedgewolf punched it, shattering it like glass. Yet the Hedgewolf had to pull his arm back as if he had punched a wall. Tails took this opportunity to claw at the Hedgewolf again, scratching his chest, spilling blood into his thick fur. The Hedgewolf howled in pain, but the attack did not end there. Metal ran forward, and sliced at the Hedgewolf, cutting a deep gash into his arm. The Hedgewolf again howled, and used his other arm to grab at Metal. Metal tried to duck, but he was caught, and the next thing he knew, he was being slammed into the ground at one-hundred miles an hour. Tails interrupted the second swing by digging his claws into the Hedgewolf's back.

The Hedgewolf grabbed Tails, but that was merely a distraction so Metal could cut at the Hedgewolf a second time. The Hedgewolf let go of Tails, and Tails and Metal flew back a ways.

"Think that's enough damage?" asked Metal as the Hedgewolf gripped at his many wounds.

"It better be," said Tails, his voice surprisingly unaltered, though he sounded tired. "I don't have much strength left. Especially after you _forced_ in into me. I'm going to have nightmares tonight." Tails shivered

"Sorry about that. Just make sure you have a strong enough foothold." Tails zipped behind the Hedgewolf and dug his claws into his sides, and he again yowled. He was about to reach for Tails when two golden tentacles grabbed his arms. Then his feet. Then his neck.

Metal's whips held fast to the Hedgewolf, and he wouldn't let go. A combination of Tails' power and Metal's strength made it so the Hedgewolf couldn't move.

"Here's where I pay my debt to you," Metal whispered to himself.

Metal and Tails each pulled in opposite directions.

-break-

"Jeez, your buds are giving that Sonic feller what for, ey? Heh, heh."

Shadow had his eyes closed, listening to the yowls of pain. Shadow smiled to himself.

"'The travelers used an ability that defied their teachings, and cried out for the Chaos to obey them. And it did, at the cost of their freedom as well. The travelers surrendered their souls to Chaos, and Chaos reacted by ensnaring Naugus, trapping him in the nightmare world he had created. Naugus swore as he was sent to his Void that someday, perhaps not sooner, perhaps not later, but eventually, he would be released. And he would have his revenge on Chaos.

"'By the Way of the Writer, I swear that I only wrote this down and claim nothing as truth, yet nothing as fiction.'

"What a sap-tacular endin'," Fang said to himself as he placed his notes in his hat. "Now then, Shadow-"

"Your services are no longer required, Fang." Fang turned, his expression that of asking a question. Shadow was standing up, rolling his neck around.

"Heh, heh, guess they call ya' the Ultimate Lifeform for a reason, then. And I was really lookin' forward to a raidin' partner for my next job. Too bad."

Shadow nodded. "Too bad, indeed. Now, if you'll excuse me, my friends might need some help."

"Right, then. I need to get this to the surface and make sure my client didn't die."

For now, Fang and Shadow went different ways. But, for some reason, they knew it wasn't the last time. The Chaos in their tormented souls said otherwise.

Shadow ran into the Wall Way room, and gave a quiet 'woah' at what he saw. Metal had his whips holding/pulling the Hedgewolf, while Tails had his (claws?) dug into his sides, also holding/pulling.

In a burst of light, Metal pulled Sonic straight out of the Hedgewolf, while Tails and the Hedgewolf flew back. Tails gave a final slice before flying back. Metal quickly released Sonic from his whips and pulled out a Chaos Arrow and let it fly. The Hedgewolf was blasted again. Shadow followed suit and shot a Chaos Spear at the Wolf for good measure.

The Hedgewolf lay beaten on the ground, unmoving except for his heavy breathing.

Sonic groaned as he got back up. He shook his head slightly. "Uhhh… what happened…?" he asked groggily.

Tails smiled in relief, and the energy around his hands and feet dissipated. "Sonic? Are you okay?" he asked eagerly.

"I think so. I remember darkness. And blood. It was like being trapped in a nightmare." He turned his head to look at Metal, and grinned. "I guess it was you, right?"

The warmth Metal felt in his soul resonated to the others in the room. Sonic, in his own way, had said Metal saved him. Joy. "Tails helped me," Metal said sheepishly.

Shadow grunted. "And I'm just the sidekick, right?"

"And what happened to 'holding him off'?"

"Shut up."

Sonic nodded and gave a thumbs up. "Thanks, guys. Let's take this thing down. Metal, would you do the honors?"

"With pleasure," said Metal as he stepped towards the Hedgewolf, his sword taking its usual form. Metal held his sword at the Hedgewolf's neck, preparing to finish this nightmare, once and for all.

But that would have been too easy.

"Stop everything!" they suddenly heard a squawky voice call.

"Jet?" asked Metal and Sonic as they turned.

Jet flew into the room on his Gear, soaking wet for some reason. His feathers were ruffled, and his goggles were gone. In one hand he held a torch, and his shadow was noticeably darker.

"I know that you're all going to think I'm insane," stated Jet. "And I probably look it too. But **do not** hurt that Hedgewolf." Jet threw the flame on the ground, and his shadow shifted. From their respected element, Mephiles and Iblis rose.

"Listen to him," said Mephiles. He was still in crystal form, but the light his crystals made was dimmed. "He has foreseen an omen of bad tidings. I can feel it in my hover shoes."

Iblis had reverted to his cat form and nodded feverishly.

"What are you guys talking about," asked Sonic, looking confused. "Look at that thing! It has to be evil."

"Something I've learned," said Jet as he stepped off his gear, "is that just because something is dark, doesn't mean it's evil." His eyes became slits as he looked at Sonic. "And that just because something is light, doesn't mean it's good."

Metal looked at the Hedgewolf, beaten down and defenseless, then at Sonic, who appeared earnestly confused.

"But I'm innocent! That thing was controlling me" claimed Sonic.

Thing? Where had Metal heard that before…

"Sonic would never do something like this on purpose," Tails defended. "Metal, we need to get rid of this thing."

There it was again. Why wasn't anybody seeing it?

Shadow turned his head to Sonic, then to the Hedgewolf. "It had to have been that thing. Sonic might be a jerk-"

"Hey!"

"-but he's not desperate."

Metal felt his rage boil.

"Metal," said Jet. "You know what's going on, don't you?"

Metal shook his head in a failed attempt to clear it.

"Come on, Metal," said Mephiles. "Where's that chess player I've been trying to beat? Think things through."

Metal's eyes lit up a few notches. He sheeted his sword, turned to Sonic and held out his hand. "Well then, Sonic, if this is just a huge misunderstanding, would you mind letting me see the Chaos Emerald you're holding?"

Sonic froze. That was all Metal needed. Bur he'd let him just try to talk his way out of this one.

"Uh… well… why do you need that?"

"No real reason. If you're my friend, then let's make that Emerald our own little oath." You could almost hear the sarcasm. But only just.

Sonic tensed. In a blast of wind, Sonic shot forward, but Metal was not his target. Sonic leaped and initiated his law defying homing attack. Metal was not fast enough to stop him instantly. So he had thought ahead about ten seconds. His gun was revealed from his arm, and he fired a single bullet. Sonic was hit, thrown out of his assault on the Hedgewolf.

Tails gasped. "Sonic?"

Sonic picked himself of the ground, and faced Metal while holding the blue Emerald. He surveyed the room, noticing that he was out numbered severely. "You haven't seen the last of me," said Sonic. "I'll be back. It ain't over until the fat lady sings."

Mephiles couldn't resist. "Sonic, there's no need to bring your mother into this, is there?"

Sonic's face practically imploded.

"That was cold Mephiles."

"Aww, thanks Shadow. I try."

Metal held his hands up. "Sonic, I give up already. I don't want your life anymore. Just take it so we can move on."

_Yes Sonic. Take it. And when you're not looking, I will get it back._

"No!" Sonic twitched. "You can't fool me! You don't want my life, sure, but you want revenge. They all want revenge!"

Metal looked at Tails, who looked just a tab bit disturbed. "Sonic, calm down," said Metal. "Is this worth losing your friends over? Is it worth loosing Tails?" Metal hated using Tails as an object, but he was running out of ideas.

Tails held his hands together, his eyes pleading where his words could not.

Sonic's deranged look softened oh so slightly, but it would not leave. "I'm sorry," he whispered, then cried out, "Chaos Control!" and vanished in a flash of light.

They were stunned. It seemed the insanity just kept coming.

The Hedgewolf growled in the back of his throat, though it was that of pain and discomfort rather than rage. Without any words spoken, they each helped the Hedgewolf up, carrying him back through the temple. Unfortunately, they didn't find Silver until they made it back out.

-break-

His breathing, if you could call it that, was heavy. His feeling, already diminished, had fled. His eyes, already tired, where nearly off for good.

"Cricky…" said Fang to himself. "You alright there, Nate?" What a dumb question. Of course he wasn't alright. He was in about three pieces.

In what could only be described as the same speech issues Darth Vader had, the robot man spoke. "Fang," came an elderly voice from the machine, "is that you?"

Fang nodded, but realized that was stupid. "Yeah… it's me… what happened?"

A heavy sigh escaped from the robot man, though his 'breathing' still continued. "An attack… a beast… my fears…"

"In case you fergot, I'm just gettin' paid. I 'ave no idea what's goin' on."

Nate turned his head, his glowing yet unseeing eyes giving Fang a scare that went down his spine. "Did you find it?" asked Nate.

"Yeah," said Fang. "Is there anything important you needed to know?"

"Naugus… was in it… right?"

"Yeah."

"Void… he made it… he was trapped in it…"

"Yeah."

"A.D.A.M…. I'm weak… tell him… new job…"

"**Yes, Nate,"** came a new mechanical voice from Nate that obviously wasn't Nate. **"All the money has been transferred to your account. For double, we have new objectives for you to complete."**

"Double, ay? What kind of jobs?" asked Fang, his curiosity obviously peeked.

"**You must take Nate's glasses to a robot hedgehog named Metal Sonic. Before you ask, the reason is classified."**

"Isn't it always?"

"**We must then take a trip to find a long lost item of Nate's."**

"What do ya mean 'we'?"

"**Then, you must take me to Eggman for revenge purposes."**

"Now we're talkin'. Action, adventure, a chance to shoot some people. This'll be fun." Fang paused and raised a brow. "How exactly am I supposed to carry an abstract computer program with me?"

There was a pause. **"Nate… is it really your time?"**

"A.D.A.M…. yes… sorry… good luck…"

"**Goodbye, Nate." **Suddenly a stream of liquid silver shot out of Nate's body and into all of Fang's pores…

Fang screamed, but only A.D.A.M. heard.

-break-

There was no true word to describe how they felt. So, they used a lot of words.

Confused.

Sad.

Tormented.

Depressed.

Utterly destroyed.

Tails stroked the Hedgewolf's head and he purred deeply. The Hedgewolf held Tails close, like a doll. Metal sat next to them, petting the Hedgewolf's back.

There were no words needed here. Metal and Tails almost could feel the other perfectly, it seemed. This Hedgewolf, once healed, had attached to them both… and Iblis, but he did that with anything. The Hedgewolf could not yet play, as its wounds had not fully healed.

They had given up on asking questions. There was no one to answer them. They decided to keep the Hedgewolf around, at least as to make sure it didn't attack anything else. But, after the way it slobbered Professor Pickle, that didn't appear a very good reason. The real reason was because it was their only real clue as to what was going on. The Hedgewolf couldn't talk, or refused to, so it wasn't that big of a help.

"Hey," someone said near Metal. Metal turned away from the starry sky he had been fascinated with to look at a purple weasel wearing a gun holster and an Australian hat. Metal could not help but notice that his green eyes almost glowed in the darkness.

"Someone told me to give you this. Don't know why, and I don't care. Just take it." Fang tossed a pair of glasses in front of Metal. Metal looked down and picked them up. He looked back up at the weasel, but he was already walking away, muttering, "One of these days I'll learn not to take jobs from nutcases…"

Metal looked intently at the glasses. They almost registered something in Metal's head. But he could not think why.

For now though, he just wanted to look at the sky, especially brilliant moon. It seemed to glow brighter than usual this night…

-Author's Notes-

When I first wrote this chapter, I actually spent a couple days playing the Lost World from Sonic adventure to try and understand the layout. The more and more you look at levels like that, the more you realize how messed up Sonic's world is. There's some phrase that works here… suspension of disbelief? I think that's it. Because of how realistic Sega had attempted to make Sonic and the world around him, stages like the Lost World come of incredibly strange. Radical Highway from SA2 comes close to being a believable level until you realize how high the under-construction bridge actually looks. If there had been visible water, I might go for it… but then there are loops! No matter how much fun those are, they don't make sense! There is no way a car can maneuver those or even get fast enough to do it. Strangely, it's the science and machine oriented levels that make a lick of sense. I can suspend my disbelief on the ARK because it's old and filled with Aperture Science™ brand technology. This completely defeats the original purpose of Sonic.

You know what's funny? Crisis City from Sonic 06 is my favorite Sonic level of all time. I've played the game, so I know what I'm talking about. The thing is, that levels design, in context, makes sense. That alone makes it stick out. Plus, I find that level fun to play, strangely. I can't quite say what it is that makes it fun, though.

Anyway, this chapter has a special place in my heart, now more than ever. My favorite Sonic authors, and maybe even my favorite fanfiction writers, gat an homage in this chapter. That includes myself. Call me egotistical, but you have to like yourself, right? Anyway, I think I need to make special mention to them right now and how much they influenced me.

Rae Logan was the first author I read that wrote Mephiles as a misunderstood villain. Similar to how I have one massive story about Metal Sonic, Logan monopolizes the Mephiles fan base with her series _Teaching Darkness_. It was her writing that molded my current views on heroes and villains. I've found few villains I can feel sorry for, because now I analyze them all as much as Rae did/does with Mephiles. That sounds odd, considering she writes Mephiles as a guy trying to figure himself out and not even really in an action packed kind of way. But, the thing is, she's seen what few notice about some villains… their lack of choice. Mephiles didn't ask to be the bearer of darkness. Given the fact that he had barely been born when Shadow trapped him, it makes sense how vengeful he is. Other villains like Count Bleck from Super Paper Mario, who we're _supposed_ to feel sorry, had a choice. Your girlfriend died by your father's hands? Sorry to hear that. I'll let you angst your heart out all you want. But you're trying to destroy all of existence over one girl? Sorry, pal, but I can't get behind that. It makes him interesting, sure, but it just makes me hate his decision more.

Rae is also incredibly kind and full of forgiveness and love, so my current views are even stranger because of that. Like I said, it was her writing that influenced me. Anyway, she's taken care of dogs that, like Mephiles, had no choice. She adopts dogs that are deformed, hurt, or mentally challenged. She gives these animals happiness before they die… It fills me with warmth to know people like this exist. The little creature mentioned in this chapter in conjuncture with her is a little dog named Jak, who unfortunately has passed away since this chapter was posted long ago. He died happily if Rae was with him. God Bless you, my friend.

Madhog, his user name being Madhog thy Master, was the most influential in my writing style. Similar to philosophers such as Voltaire, Madhog had a very sarcastic and grim sense of humor. He showed me the importance of the darkness in our lives and the unpredictability of it all. His works depended on the sad side of life. As my life went to heck, it was Madhog who showed me how valuable the experience was. This halfway point in the story marks where it is that the darkness in my life made me stronger and more confident. I began to take my writing incredibly seriously, at the same time having whatever fun I could with it. I also began to make certain things more realistic, not hiding my own views and fears about the world. Fang the Sniper doing everything and everything, not to mention Knuckles's personality in this part of the story, is a reference to his writing style.

Madhog showed me the importance of darkness through his many alternate universe stories about Tails and his life, which was actually a series. They were sad, gruesome, and at times made me want to cry for the good guys' pain. The endings, however, always filled me with bittersweet joy. Often we talked about matters of the human heart and the pain people felt, my own included. He also taught me a lesson that, to this day, has affected my taste in reading; Chaos. Any story of his had the theme of Chaos, the uncontrolled, the unknowable. Everything that happens is purely by chance, even if it's fate. This has also affected my opinions of heroes and villains; sometimes, it is merely chance or the unpredictable nature of the heart that makes a hero or villain.

Sadly, Madhog has stopped writing, at least Sonic fiction. His stories were not appreciated the way they should have been and I don't fault him for quitting. The Sonic fanbase is difficult to please, even here. No offense to anyone who isn't this way, but Sonic fans just aren't intelligent enough to appreciate the work and heart Madhog, and many other writers I've talked to here, put into their work. When last I checked on Madhog, he had written a My Little Pony fanfiction. It hasn't been updated in a while. I haven't messaged him since he told me he quit, so I don't know how he's doing. If you're reading this, Madhog, our conversations are still with me.

Finally, a reference to my good friend Shelby Workman as the author of this chapter's mini-story. At the time when I had written it, I made her the author because of her work as an author. He stories might seem a bit fangirl-ish if you go back, but she was still earnestly trying in a way most fangirls don't. I've also had the pleasure of hearing her ideas for mangas and books and love her originality in them. But, more than anything, I'm happy with how she is referenced as the author now more than ever. Were it not for her and her and my good friend Nick, whose user name is sometimes Baron Von Beefdip, I would not be here now or even still writing. Shelby and Nick actually _hunted me down_ in an attempt to find out why I had left. It felt so amazing to know my writing was influential enough for someone to miss it when it was gone. Shelby, my dear friend and confidant through the bumpy round of my life, guided my back to my passion.

Shelby… of everyone who's helped me here on this site, you were the one who did the most for me. I can't thank you enough for what you've done. I'll remember you forever.

Sincerely and with all my heart,

The Conflicted Writer.


	36. NiGHTS of Dreams: The First

**NiGHTS of Dreams: The First**

Pain.

Pain.

That was all there was.

Pain.

Gripping him.

Entering him.

Destroying him.

Devouring him.

He forgot what little he knew.

He now knew nothing.

Except that face. That horrible, smiling face.

And a notion.

Keep moving.

Move.

Run.

Run.

That's what he had to do now. Keep running. Run from the pain. Run from the darkness.

Light.

Warmth.

That was ahead. That was his goal.

Run.

Run.

Run…

-break-

Metal ran. From what he wasn't sure. He just ran. He couldn't think. He didn't look in front of him. He didn't look behind him. He just couldn't see. He ran.

As such, it was no surprise to him that in his blind running he tripped over a stone wall and fell into a pool of water. Metal gasped and found that he couldn't breathe. He swam up, trying to get a hold of the precious air his lungs craved.

Metal shot out of the water, grabbing at the wall he had previously tripped on. He gasped and pulled himself over, flopping onto the ground, letting his body get the air it was craving and the water drip from his fur.

Metal was suddenly confused. Fur? Breathing? Air?

What happened?

Metal looked at his black gloved hands. They were hands made of flesh. He raised his head and looked at the rest of his body. Yes. The body he had only seen in his dreams. Considering his memory, that's what he concluded this to be.

A dream.

Nothing more than an illusion. Crud. This one sure was vivid, though. He could actually feel his fur this time, which was nice.

Metal stood up and squeezed the water out of his head quills. He looked at the water and at his reflection. He smiled. If only he could show his friends. Then he noticed something in the water. He reached out and took it, hardly believing what it was. It appeared to be the top half of his metallic face. He turned it over in his hands, taking notice of its shortened details. It was like half a mask. It would only cover the top half of his dream face. It was his… personae. That was the best word for it.

Metal put the mask away and looked around for the first time. He was in a forest. It was bright out. A sun shone brightly above the tall trees. There was a cobblestone road which led in two directions, one to an iron gate that was wide open and one to nowhere, with the fountain in the middle. There were six doorways simply sitting around without doors in them.

"What a strange place," Metals said to himself. "I wonder why I would dream of a place like this."

"Hoo, hoo!" Metal suddenly heard someone call. Metal turned around and saw an owl. It was funny though. Despite having a vest and glasses, this owl looked more like a regular owl than one with actual opposable thumbs.

"My, we haven't had a Visitor for quite some time!" the owl said, somehow sounding old and young at the same time. "You must be truly confused about where you are right now."

Metal absentmindedly looked around. "Not really. This is a dream and you're a character in it. There isn't much to it."

The owl raised an eyebrow in surprise. "But aren't you amazed by how vivid this dream is?"

"Nope," said Metal as he took in a great big breath, enjoying what he believed to be the smell of pine needles.

"Not in the slightest?"

"Not at all. All my dreams are vivid. Though I hardly ever have dreams in the first place." Metal began to walk, and the owl followed.

"But, dear Visitor, this is so much more than a simple dream. You're in the Dream Gate, the place directly between the waking world, the dreaming world, and one's deepest self. Surely you can't have ever been here before!"

Metal examined a door-less doorway, running his fingers over it. This was a strange dream. "No, can't say that I have, actually. But when next I dream, I will be far away and you'll simply be a sadly forgotten memory. It's too bad, though. You seem like such an intellectual fellow."

The owl's beak somehow smiled. "Why, thank you, visitor. Well, if I cannot convince you otherwise, then why not-" the rest of his words were muffled.

Metal turned around, and raised a brow in curiosity. Now holding the old owl in an almost ninja style grip was what Metal could only describe as an evil jester. The jester wore red boots and fingerless gloves, and a red and black striped jester ha that only had two tendrils instead of the usual three. He wore a black belt and a red, jester type vest. His skin was a pale white, and from what Metal could tell, the jester had no other clothes on, though it appeared his powerful legs were like pants. If that were the case, it was hard to tell where skin began and clothes ended. Its face was very eerie to Metal. It had big, cat-like eyes that were a dark turquoise, and thick black lips. Or was that lipstick? It had no nose, no ears, and the caller it wore made it appear that if it took it off, it would have no neck. Upon its face it wore a golden half-mask with a purple jewel between the eyeholes. It also had a sparkling purple medallion on a golden chain around its neck. And it was floating, but that was hardly a surprise to Metal.

Metal could not tell if it was male or female. But the lips and pink fingernails led in a female direction.

"Not this time, you old fool," the jester said.

Holy shit, it was a guy. Why would Metal's warped mind make this thing?

"This one is coming directly to Master Wizeman," the jester said as he tossed the owl away like trash, and in a split second he appeared behind Metal, grabbing his arm and twisting it behind his back so as to keep him from moving. Metal yelled out in pain. He had only experienced pain in his dreams, and it seemed so horrible an experience that he sometimes wondered if his quest was worth it.

"So where are you taking me, clown?" asked Metal with a forced grin. He struggled, but his arm simply hurt more.

"Do not mock me!" the jester yelled. "I am Reala, your second worst nightmare."

"My second worst, eh? What could my worst be then?" Though Metal said this with a joking air, he was wondering what exactly he meant.

"Don't play with me, Sonic the Hedgehog," said the apparent Reala into Metal's ear. "Wizeman speaks of you from time to time and of how much hate he has for you."

Metal gagged a little as Reala wrapped an arm around his neck. Metal was certainly curious now. His mind had created quite the scenario. Reala flew out and over the Dream Gate, and now, Metal realized, the Gate was a large rock floating over an abyss of darkness. And Reala held him right over it.

"Wizeman will be most pleased to see you again," Reala hissed, and let go. And Metal realized something. At this point, he would have accidentally 'woken up'. But this was in real time, he noticed. He could count the seconds as he fell. Perhaps this was a little bit more than a dream. Perhaps his mind had been transported to a magical world that is a manifestation of the phrase 'dreams are seldom all they seem' and reflects a world that resembles his world, but in metaphors.

Or maybe he was just being over thinking it.

Whatever the case, he did not care. He was falling at high speeds towards what looked like either a bottomless pit or a ground shrouded in darkness. And soon the darkness swallowed him whole.

The next thing he knew he was floating within an alter/thrown room sort of place. It was even worse than falling. All of Metal's fears, it felt, were all forced into this vile place and were consuming him. He was too afraid to take notice specifically of what and where anything was. All he knew was that there was a thrown in the center.

"Scared?" Reala asked as he suddenly appeared behind Metal. Metal gave a yelp and tried to turn around, but whatever force was holding up was also holding him still.

"Master Wizeman," said Reala as he bowed next to Metal and holding his arms out as if to present him. "I have brought you… Sonic the Hedgehog."

If Metal was terrified before, now he was practically a corpse, as in, scared stiff. From the darkness a false light shone, and from this light came the source of all the fear. A robe arose from nothing, and slowly features, if they could be called that, appeared. A helmet made of metallic silver that was in a near perfect shape of a human head was on top of the robe, right between where the robe curved as if there were shoulders. The helmet had a frowning 'mouth' of sorts, but that was the only life like feature it had. Its head was covered in pin-like spikes that curved in a thunder bolt like fashion. There were no eyes holes, and no arms. But it still had eyes and hands.

The eyes and hands were one in the same. But there was triple these things. Six silver metal hands floated in a sacred like ring, a large purple eye in each hand staring at Metal.

"**Reala!" **a mighty voice boomed. **"How do you know of this Sonic I have craven for?"**

Reala, it seemed, had lost his cool edge of confidence against this nearly indescribable being. "I… heard you speak of him in your mutterings…"

One of the giant hands shot forward, and Metal felt a surge of heat that seemed like it could melt the sun hit him. The eye, not changing in emotion, if any was there at all, stared straight at Reala.

"**How dare you listen to my mutterings, Reala!"** The apparent voice of this 'Wizeman' yelled.

Reala bowed his head, his eyes closing. "Forgive me, Master" Reala begged. "But your mutterings were… rather loud."

"**Then cover your ears!"**

"I don't have ears…"

There was a pause. **"Then how do you hear?"**

"With all due respect, sire, you made me. Shouldn't you know?"

There was another pause. **"…Be silent Reala!"** The hand that was close to Metal began to examine him, and Metal felt as if something was digging and clawing through his soul. This was definitely more than a dream.

"**This is not Sonic…"** Wizeman said, sounding almost disappointed.

Reala looked shocked. "But he must be! He fits your description perfectly. A confident remark in the face of danger, a look of absolute courage until in the face of death, he's even got all his Ideya! Surely it must be him!"

"**For once, Reala, I do not blame you for this mistake. This Visitor is similar to Sonic to a fault. But it is not him. Sonic is far more tormented than this being. This one's consciousness is far stronger. But you have done well, Reala. This being shall please me as I crush him and take his Ideya. It will be nearly the same as destroying that pathetic hedgehog."**

Reala grinned and moved aside as the metallic hand came closer to Metal, and Metal struggled to move, to fly.

"I need to wake up" Metal whispered to himself. "I am a robot. I can just turn myself back on right…?"

Right.

-break-

Metal's eyes flared on in a flash and he fell on top of the soft mass that was Sarsar, his newest faithful companion. Metal looked around him frantically. He was in the same room as before, with Tails and Jet having fallen asleep in the middle of their game. Mephiles was still playing, with Iblis sitting near him and watching the screen intently, though they had stopped to look at Metal.

"Are you alright?" asked Mephiles after he had paused.

"Yeah, yeah" said Metal as he pushed himself off of the thick coat of Sarsar. Metal was surprised the mighty beast has not woken up from the hit. "No more Final Fantasy before shutting down for the night…" Metal turned around to head to his garage spot.

Mephiles went back to playing the game. "This Cloud guy is awesome. But I'm confused: is he a science project gone wrong, or is Sephiroth?"

Iblis shrugged.

-break-

Again, Metal was walking through the Dream Gate. What was he doing back here? Perhaps there was more to this place than he had originally imagined.

"Hey, owl guy!" Metal called.

Metal heard the flapping of wings, and a frazzled looking owl came from the forest grove.

"Visitor, you're alive! You're here! How did you get out of that horrible Nightmare pit unscathed?"

Metal blinked. "I just woke up."

"Woke up? But how? A Visitor has never been able to simply walk between the two worlds on command. The awakers must do that for them."

"I'm not a normal Visitor, I believe," Metal said as he placed a hand on his chin. "I don't think this is just a dream anymore. Can you tell me where I am and what's going on?"

The owl nodded and sat on a wooden perch that seemed just for him. Metal sat on the ground and listened.

"This place, as I've said, is a gateway between several different planes of existence. The being you saw was Reala, a nightmare, or a Nightmaren as they are called here. He was made, like so many other horrible creatures, by the nightmare master Wizeman the Wicked."

"Wizeman." Metal repeated. "He's a great big robe with metal hands, right?"

The owl's eyes widened. "You saw him?"

"He nearly got me. He said he wanted all my 'Ideya', and Reala said something about having all of them with me."

The owl blinked. "You are a Visitor of many surprises. Usually Visitors are lucky to just have one Ideya. I could see why Reala would want you… Sonic, was it?"

Metal frowned. But as he felt that, he smiled two seconds afterward, enjoying letting someone know how he felt without words. "No. A case of mistaken identity on his part. I am Metal," Metal introduced.

The owl nodded. "And I am Owl. How nice it is to meet you."

"Owl?"

"What? It's a very common name."

Metal scratched his head. That was true, in a sense.

Before Metal could make a statement about this fact, he heard a sweet melody. It was being played on a flute. And for some reason, Metal knew the words. He sung them as he closed his eyes.

"In the night… tender light… I want to see you standing there…

In the night… hold me tight… I want someone who really cares." Metal opened his eyes. "Where is that delightful sound coming from?"

Owl smiled. "That would be NiGHTS."

Metal looked up, and saw someone floating a few feet away and above them. The person stopped playing the music, and floated down, leaving sparkles as he/she came. Unfortunately for Metal, that made up word configuration was the best pronoun he had for this person.

Everything Reala was, this person wasn't, though there were a few similarities. It was a jester to be sure, but a lot more like a jester than a nightmare clown as Reala was. It wore a vest of bright red/pink, and a white shirt with sleeve cuffs the colors of yellow and purple and a caller to match. If Metal looked hard enough, he could see that there were no arms in the sleeves, and his/her gloved hands floated of seemingly their own will just outside the sleeves. He/She wore some purple tights that covered all his/her legs, included his/her feet. His/Her heels and ankles were covered in a pink piece of latex per set, over the tights. Like Reala, he/she had catlike eyes, though they were pure blue, no ears, no nose, and wore a jester hat with two tendrils, but this hat was purple, tripped with purple and a slightly darker purple. The most noticeable difference between this jester and Reala was a sparkling red jewel embedded in his/her chest. It almost seemed to radiate… courage.

"About time" he/she said in a joyous way.

Metal still couldn't tell if he/she was a he or a she. But something struck him as odd. This jester didn't have a flute. How was he/she playing?

"We haven't had a Visitor in ages. I was getting bored with only Owl to talk to."

"Well, I never."

"My name is NiGHTS," the jester introduced as he/she stuck out his/her hand. "What's yours?"

Metal smiled. "I'm Metal," and he reached out and shook NiGHTS hand.

And thus began an unusual friendship of pain and joy. The first being pain.

Metal felt all his quills stand up as he was electrocuted. He quickly let go of NiGHTS hand and jumped back.

NiGHTS laughed. And it was such an amazing laugh. Not of malice, nor of entertainment at Metal's discomfort, but of simple joy. Metal did not realize it at the time, but he wanted to hear that laugh more.

NiGHTS held up his/her hand, revealing the appropriately named joy buzzer.

Metal grinned. "I suppose I should expect nothing less from a jester."

"Perhaps you should, Metal." NiGHTS frowned. "Metal… that's a strange name, even by my standards. Have you got another I can use?"

Metal raised a brow. "Not really. Well… there is a word in another language that means Metal. I believe it's… Metaru."

"Metaru… I like that name a whole lot more. Nice to meet you, Metaru." NiGHTS gave a theatrical bow.

Metal chuckled and gave a bow himself.

"NiGHTS," said Owl. "This Visitor has quite a tale to tell. You should listen to him. He could very well need our help more than other Visitors have needed it."

"Say, Metaru," said NiGHTS as he/she leaned back as if in a hammock. "Have you ever thought about flying before?"

Owl huffed. NiGHTS completely ignored him.

"Flying?" Metal asked.

"Sure. You know swerving in and out and about through trees, cliffs, people's homes, whatever catches your fancy, really." NiGHTS floated in a position that made him/her look like she was standing and held out the palm of his/her hand to Metal. "If you dualize with me, you can try it out for yourself."

"Duelize?"

"Don't worry, it's not a prank this time. Jester's never joke when they say they aren't."

Owl sighed, seeing that he wasn't going to get anywhere until NiGHTS had his/her fun. "NiGHTS has the ability to become one with Visitors, allowing for you to borrow NiGHTS powers. It's really an experience that has to be met yourself to completely understand it."

Metal looked at the palm of NiGHTS hand. Metal shook his head. "Sorry, but no thank you. I don't enjoy the idea-" he paused for a moment. "Idea? Ideya… hmmm… Well, as I was saying, I don't want to be someone else in order to fly."

NiGHTS looked both disappointed and surprised. It was the first time a Visitor turned down the option of flying before. NiGHTS then gave a wry grin and went back to his/her hammock position. "All right then, if you don't want to fly, then that's your problem."

Metal grinned. "You remind me of someone I know. He also likes having fun very much and he has the slightly irritating trait of acting better than others sometimes. But I don't need your help to fly." Metal then paused and felt his back. He realized he might not be able to back that up.

NiGHTS, who had his/her eyes closed, opened one, still smiling in a cocky fashion. "Really? And how can you do that?"

"Uhhh…" Metal's eyes lit up, and he pulled out that mask from before, the one that looked like half of his metallic face. Metal smiled. "You will be surprised to know that, in my world, flying is one of my ingrained abilities." Metal brought the mask to his face, and his body glowed.

NiGHTS and Owl gasped slightly. Metal was now a very appropriate name for him.

Metal was back to his metallic form, and for some reason, he didn't mind. Metal rose a few inches off the ground, and he gave a bow as to mock NiGHTS. "Still think I need your help to fly?"

NiGHTS grinned. "No. But I do think you need my help to get you pride handed to you."

"Is that a challenge I hear approaching?"

"Once around the dream gate. And to make sure we stay on the track, I'll make some rings to fly through. They'll turn blue for you if you've passed through them in the right order."

"You're on, NiGHTS. May the best flyer win."

"Don't worry. I will." NiGHTS laughed, and Metal couldn't but laugh with him/her. And they flew off, leaving Owl to ponder to himself.

"NiGHTS should be pleased. Never had a companion in flight before. At least, not one that wasn't as old as the Dream Gate." Owl watched them fly, and was slightly astounded by Metal. He was actually keeping up with NiGHTS. But NiGHTS was far better when it came to sharp turns and the like. Metal took them a little wide, but he had NiGHTS beaten when there was a straight path. Nights could not hope to keep up, even with his/her mighty Drill Dash.

Owl turned around, remembering the last Visitors that had been here. He then began to wonder how Nightopia would look in this one's eyes. This Visitor had already broken a few of the normal rules of the Dream Gate already. He had his Ideya, and saw Wiseman and survived the ordeal. Now it was revealed that he had his own personae, his own mask that showed who he was. Owl could not help but wonder which face was truly Metal's.

Owl turned his head to follow them but stopped when he saw the doorways. They were no longer empty. Three of them had become regal doors, but they were all made out of freshly made, well crafted metal, and each door was a different color. One was a bright orange, and the glass picture above it was of a circus tent. The second was a shining black, and above it was a mosaic of a mansion. The third was blue, like Metal himself with his armor, and there was in glass a castle tower.

But there was a fourth door. There usually was a fourth door for 'My Dream' for a Visitor, but this one was different. Like the other doors it was metal, but different. This door was thick and enforced to keep something locked away. But it was rusty as if it had existed for a long time without proper care. There were seven locks, three on each side, and one in the middle, but there were no keyholes to be found. Despite this, five of the locks had been broken. Owl flew closer to this door to further examine it. When he came close enough he could hear something… burning. There was fire on the other side. Owl could feel the heat on this side of the door. Owl flew back a ways.

NiGHTS landed in front of the fountain gracefully with Metal landing a few seconds afterward.

"No fair," said Metal, his head hung low. "You can turn on a dime at top speed."

"It's not my fault the rock was in the way. You had the advantage of taking the little swimming hole anyway."

"I'll get you next time, NiGHTS," Metal declared, shaking his fist at him/her. "I'll practice and upgrade myself until I can beat you."

"In your dreams," said NiGHTS as he/she crossed his/her arms.

Metal looked around. "Uhhh…"

"Oh, that's right. Then maybe someday."

"NiGHTS, Visitor," called Owl as he flew over to them. "The doors to Nightopia! They have all opened!"

"What?" asked NiGHTS. "All at once? That's never happened before."

"May I ask what Nightopia is?" asked Metal as he pulled off his personae, taking his living shape again.

"Nightopia," began Owl, "is a paradise for visitors that takes on the shape of their inner feelings and traits. Usually there is an Ideya that was lost on the trip to The Dream Gate in the center of each version to represent traits that all possess: growth, purity, intelligence, hope, and courage, with courage being the strongest, and being the only Ideya that Nightmaren cannot steal from you. However, if what we heard from Reala is true, and you already have all your Ideya, I can hardly imagine what it is you need to find in there other than entertainment."

"You met Reala?" asked NiGHTS, obviously shocked, his/her eyes widened… more than before.

"And Wizeman" said Metal. "They wanted all of my 'Ideya'. Why do they want those?"

NiGHTS flew in front of Metal, and for the first time since Metal had known him/her, NiGHTS looked serious. "Wizeman wants Ideya so that he can destroy Nightopia, and replace it with his nightmares. He created that sea of Darkness down below, but he isn't satisfied with his own kingdom. He wants both the dark and the light of Illumina, the Queen of Dreams. He's collected Ideya over time from other Visitors, and if he gets enough, not only will he be able to destroy Nightopia and Illumina, but he'll eventually be able to enter the waking world and take that over too."

"But what is Wizeman?" asked Metal. "Is he a god?"

"All his Nightmaren worship him like one," huffed NiGHTS as he/she looked up at the shining sunlit sky. "I don't think he's that powerful. I've beaten him before with some help. But, then again, Illumina, for all her power, can still lose sight of her dreams and crumble. I often wonder what it really means to be a god."

"Wizseman has lived here longer than us, so we don't truly know. But he is powerful to create such things as Reala."

"Speaking of creation," started Metal, "Is it coincidence that you and Reala look a lot alike, or are you opposites: one from Nightmare of Wiseman and one from Sweet Dreams of Illumina?"

"Err..." began NiGHTS.

Metal chuckled. "Even in dreams, I can find logic. You are a Nightmaren, aren't you, NiGHTS?"

NiGHTS froze. "Wha-what?"

"Well that was certainly fast," stated Owl.

Metal grinned. "It stands to reason. You and Reala resemble each other, Nightmaren can't steal Courage, and you seem to radiate it. Believe me, I know: when you're meant to steal or hurt something, you tend to take on their traits."

NiGHTS lowered his/her head in shame, gripping at the jewel he/she wore on his/her chest. "Yes, I'm a Nightmaren."

"Then Wiseman can't be all bad," stated Metal, "if he made something like you."

NiGHTS looked up, looking somewhat confused. But then there was a smile. Such a sweet, innocent smile. "Thank you, Metaru. You are quite wise. You know, they say that if a person's hand is bigger than their face, that person is truly wise."

"Really?" asked Metal. He brought a black glove close to his face. Before he could even begin to measure his hand, NiGHTS pushed it into his face, toppling him over.

NiGHTS laughed. "Hope you'll still trust me!" NiGHTS said as he/she loomed over Metal.

Metal frowned an obviously fake frown. "I'll get you back for that later, you fruity-cupped jester."

"Fruity? A genderless being falls out of the jurisdiction of 'fruity'."

"So, you are neither a boy nor a girl," said Metal as he stood back up. "I didn't want to sound insensitive by asking. Well, how can I help against Wizeman?"

"What!" asked Owl. "You want to stop Wizeman! It's unheard of! No one has ever offered to help us against Wizeman!"

"It's one of my traits. I'm annoying like that. Someone need saving? I'm glad to assist."

NiGHTS sighed in a bored fashion. "Now why would you want to go off and fight Wizeman when we could be in Nightopia having some fun? Come on, before we start making plans to defeat Wiseman, let's explore. Nightopia awaits." NiGHTS gestured to the first metal door.

Metal smiled and nodded. "I guess one night won't hurt anything." Metal walked up to the orange door. As he approached, it automatically opened and bright light and gentle warmth came forth. Metal squinted and stepped in, the sensation of falling surrounding him.

-break-

Metal, NiGHTS, and Owl walked (or in two cases, flew) across the circus/carnival grounds, noticing how bright and colorful it was. Metal grinned and sniffed the air. He believed it to be the smell of food, an object that had tormented him for quite some time. Metal looked over at a hot dog vendor and, without waiting up for NiGHTS and Owl, ran over.

"NiGHTS…" said Owl, "Do you see something wrong here?"

"Yes" said NiGHTS, bringing a hand to his/her chin. "This has never happened in Nightopia before. At least, not when I've seen it. What do you think, Owl?"

"This is either a most troubling development, or perhaps his dreams and mind are as powerful as Illumina herself."

"As powerful as Illumina? But… it just doesn't seem possible."

"Look around, NiGHTS. What other explanation is there?"

NiGHTS did look around. There were, not the Nightopians he/she had come to adore. There were people. Humans that NiGHTS had usually met here, and animal people like Metal. This had never happened. There were never people that existed for the sake of existing before. But this was Nightopia. There were things like rides and the main circus tent that were way out of actual proportion that could only be dreamed.

"I must speak to Illumina about this," said Owl. "Perhaps he _can_ stop Wizeman once and for all. Make sure nothing happens to him, NiGHTS." Owl flew off in a random direction. NiGHTS had forgotten that Illumina lived in Nightopia because of how often it changed shape

Metal slumped back to NiGHTS, looking quite disappointed. "I don't have any money. This is hardly fair. I feel like a sad god. I made this place, and yet I have no control over it."

NiGHTS secretly frowned. This phrase held surprisingly true, he/she realized.

Metal stood back up straight and looked around. "Where's Owl?" he asked, forgetting his hunger.

"Owl had to go talk with someone," said NiGHTS, forgetting his/her older thoughts and again becoming joyful. "Come on, then. Let's see how much fun we can have before you have to wake up."

Metal nodded, but then frowned. "But everything here costs money, and I don't have any."

NiGHTS looked around, hoping an idea would met him/her.

"Hey, you guys are looking for money?" came a gruff voice that Metal recognized.

"Vector?" asked Metal as he turned around.

Vector, in a pair of overalls and holding a wrench in one hand, waved Metal and NiGHTS over. "Gee, how'd you know my name?"

"Vector, it's me, Metal!" Metal cried out as he presented his new self to his friend.

Vector closed an eye in thought as he tapped his wrench to his snout. "Metal… Metal… sorry, can't say that I remember you. Care to refresh my memory?"

Metal looked astonished for a moment, but then he remembered. Dreams were hardly what they appeared. Metal smiled and waved it off. "I'm sorry. I failed to recognize you as someone else. Anyway, you said something about getting some cash?"

"Right," Vector nodded. "The tent happens to be low a show today. Seems the Wind Rider had to cancel. Your friend there seems like a good candidate, and I know the ring master is desperate. If you go see him and show him some tricks, I'm sure he'll give you a job and a quick paycheck."

"Performance?" asked NiGHTS with a bright gleam in his/her eyes. "Come on, Metaru! I've never had a huge audience before. Please?"

Metal nodded. "Sure, thanks, Vector. You always seem to have just what I need when I need it."

"No problem pal. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to fix that roller coaster. It's been rattlin' up a storm." As Vector turned to walk away, Metal smiled a knowing smile.

"He took on the form of the way I inwardly see him. Always the person who can get me moving in the right direction."

"That was someone you knew?" asked NiGHTS, remembering this information for Owl.

"Yeah. I wonder how many others I'll meet." Metal looked up at the giant tent and pulled out his personae. "Well then, my new companion, it seems we have a show to put on."

NiGHTS smiled and flew around Metal gleefully. "Come one then!" he/she cried. "Let's get going!"

Metal moved to place his personae on, but someone suddenly grabbed him in a bear hug.

"Brother!" the someone cried, and Metal looked down to see that he was tackled by Tails.

Or, at first glance, it appeared to be Tails. But this Tails was younger, by about three years compared to the Tails Metal knew. He was wearing a pair of overalls with his tails sticking out and an orange shirt.

"Uhh…" Metal looked at the young Tails, unable to create a coherent thought. What was this supposed to mean?

The young Tails looked up at Metal's face and gasped while leaping back. "Ahh! I'm sorry mister!" the young Tails cried. "I-I mistook you for my brother…"

His brother?

"H-have you seen a hedgehog like you around anywhere?"

Metal froze. It felt like his system had just tried to download every different version of Macintosh all at once and he couldn't handle it.

"We're sorry," said NiGHTS as he/she kneeled down to young Tails. "We only just got here. Would he be looking for you?"

Young Tails paused, and his eyes became full with tears. "I don't really know…"

Metal shook himself and was finally able to speak. "Why wouldn't you know?"

"He… does this a lot to me. He runs off, and I have no idea where he goes." Young Tails wiped his eyes. "I'm lost without him. I need my big brother."

NiGHTS looked at Metal. "Socializing and on the fly helping people aren't my strong points. Suggestions, since this is your dream?"

Metal looked around again, and smiled. He knew how to kill two birds with one… pie.

"Wait here for a moment. NiGHTS, watch Tails. Be right back." Metal walked off, and NiGHTS was left with young Tails, who was still sniffling. NiGHTS had an idea him/herself. It was time to prank Metal again. But before NiGHTS could think of a good one, he suddenly heard Metal cry out in fear. NiGHTS turned to look, and realized that Metal had already beaten him/her to the punch as he/she was met with a pie in the face.

Metal laughed. Tails laughed. It was muffled, but NiGHTS laughed, too.

"Revenge is sweet," said Metal as he tossed another pie up and down. "But lemon custard is far sweeter."

NiGHTS wiped the pie off his/her face, and a grin was ever present. "Not bad, not bad at all, Metaru. But you do know, this means war."

"Hey! Those cost ten-fifty!" cried the sweet vendor that Metal had stolen the pies from.

"That's highway robbery, good sir," said Metal as tossed the other pie at the man with a satisfying 'splat'.

"Ha, ha! You're almost like my brother!" cried Tails. "Can you help me find my brother, mister?"

"Call me Metal. We have an engagement, I believe, but you can come with us to the show and we'll help you afterwards."

"You guys are in the show?" asked Tails with awe in his eyes.

"Not yet," said NiGHTS. "But when he sees us in action, he'll have no choice."

"Let's get going before the pie guy gets up," Metal said in a jolly way as he held out his hand to Tails.

Tails smiled and took it. And they started to run. The pie guy was right behind them.

-break-

"Ladies and gentlemen!" cried Henry with great enthusiasm, his ringmaster hat just barely staying on his head. "Tonight we've got perhaps our greatest show to date!" There was a great round of applause. "However, the Legendary Wind Rider could not make it to tonight's show." Suddenly there was a great deal of boos and 'I want my money back!'s. "But, we've got something even better! Far of in the forgotten lands there lives those who practice the magic of nature as if it were writing. And we happen to have one of them here tonight! Say hello to the Celtic Warrior, Metaru, the Knight of the Moon!" A light shone up to a high platform where Metal, in his armor, took a bow. He looked down and waved, particularly at Tails, who sat in a special box all his own thanks to Metal and NiGHTS.

"But wait! What could he possibly doing up there, you ask? Well, to answer that, it must be known that this warrior brought with him a magical fairy, who is in fact a spirit of freedom. Say hello to NiGHTS, the Dream Guardian!" Another shone on another platform where NiGHTS was waiting with his/her hand on his/her hips, and also waved to the crowd.

"Now behold, as right before your eyes, no strings attached, they… fly!" Metal and NiGHTS jumped, and pretty much the whole of the crowd screamed. With a flourish, each of them swerved up, and the entire circus cried out in amazement as they ducked and weaved through the air, NiGHTS leaving sparkles and Metal leaving a trail of light.

"Yay Metal! Yay NiGHTS!" cried Tails as he clapped.

"Gee wiz," said Henry as he stepped up to Tails. "You pa right there is something amazing."

Tails eyes widened a little. "Pa? He isn't my dad."

"Well of course you all ain't related, but he treated you like a pa would a son. Made sure everything was fine for you and all that. He obviously cares about you."

"You really think so?" said Tails with a questioning look.

"Most definitely," said a whisper right behind Tails. Tails gasped and turned around to see Reala staring at him from two inches away. "And now, little fox, I'm going to show you a magic trick and a secret about magic tricks. In most of them, in order to make something disappear, you simply take it," Reala grabbed Tails by the throat, "while everyone is distracted by another trick."

NiGHTS performed a dazzling spin right above the crowd as he/she flew over them, and Metal's body spun much like Sonic's would in a spin dash, leaving a curly trail of light behind. Metal and NiGHTS came in close contact, grabbed each other's hand and began to spin. The crowd cheered at the lights bursting before them.

NiGHTS and Metal stopped and flew in opposite directions. Suddenly Metal heard NiGHTS cry out in surprise. Metal turned, half expecting a trick, But was stunned to see that NiGHTS was trapped in a cage made of some strange glowing glass.

"But, ladies and gentlemen," a voice that Metal quickly recognized said, "what would a good show be without a story? As the warrior and fairy frolicked through their improvised paradise, the fairy was quickly caught by its dark sibling who was intent on taking it back to its aggravated creator. The warrior, who would try to save the fairy, was distracted by the poor little child he had come to care for, who was currently riding a kart to his doom. The warrior could use his courage to break the fairy out halfway, but that would only work if the warrior then went for the keys that locked the cage. He could let the fairy out and save the child, couldn't he? But that would be too easy. So let's make it harder." Reala snapped his fingers, and from nowhere came a giant smiling clown head, with a big red nose covered in spikes, star painted eyes, and a silly hat. But the clown's eyes, while happy, were filled with vile intent, and the sharp teeth in its smile implied that as well.

Metal could hear Tails scream from the coaster he was stuck in, most likely tied up.

NiGHTS banged on the cage that restrained him/her.

The clown's nose shot out like a rocket and struck Metal hard, knocking him to the floor.

The crowd screamed as the head laughed and advanced on them all.

"So now the warrior must make a choice: save the kid, save the people, or save the fairy of his dreams. What will he decide?"

Metal frantically looked around, lost. The clown head danced further. Stopping it would let Reala get NiGHTS, but if he acted now, he might be able to save Tails. He could save NiGHTS, and definitely stop the clown head, but Tails would be…

He could save Tails, but NiGHTS would be lost, and the people would defiantly take a hit.

What was Metal to do?

Tails yelled out for help.

NiGHTS shut his/her eyes, not able to stand watching the clown head.

The crowd ran, but their mad running would not let them get away.

What was Metal to do? He could not be in two places at once.

Could he?

Was he not Metal… and Mettaru?

Reala threw back his head and laughed. This looked like it for NiGHTS. And to add a bonus, he would get the all powerful visitor. Wiseman would praise him for a long while for this.

Reala was suddenly gripped with pain as he was Paralooped. Reala growled and turned to see NiGHTS gleefully waving at him. Reala could see, in a haze right behind NiGHTS, Metal was doing the same thing.

Mocking him.

But Reala grinned. "So, you decided to save NiGHTS? Are you so heartless that you would let even a dream character die a horrible death?"

"I do believe that's your job," NiGHTS and Metal said at the same time while mimicking movements as well, pointing a finger(s) at Reala. "Don't worry: I'm a great multi tasker."

Tails was coming close to the end of the line, where a crocodile was bust repairing the broken steel bars. He was bobbing his head as if listening to music, and did not appear to hear Tails scream.

The kart Tails was in was riding down the slope at an intense speed towards the end. Suddenly Tails's kart slowed down, and Tails turned around to see Metal, in his armor, pulling the kart back with all his force.

Vector turned his head just in time to see a kart stop about a foot away from him. His jaw went slack as he watched Metal pull Tails out and toss the kart aside.

"Hey, you're about as funny as a brick wall!" NiGHTS/Metal called to the head as they kicked the clown head' ear hard. The clown head turned and laughed manically at NiGHTS/Metal, and shot its nose out again. NiGHTS/Metal Drill Dashed straight at the spike ball, bouncing it straight back at the clown head and hitting it in the eye. The clown head's smile turned upside down and it almost seemed to cry.

Metal, with Tails in his arms flew back into the tent and looked up at NiGHTS/Metal fighting the clown head.

"Oh no you don't!" cried Reala as he flew towards Metal and Tails.

"Leave my brother alone!" someone else yelled out, and they kicked Reala square in the jaw.

"Brother!" Tails cried as he leapt out of Metal's arms and towards Sonic's. Metal reached after him, almost desperately.

"Oh man, I thought something bad had happened to you!" cried Sonic as he wrapped his arms around Tails. "Come on, we need to get out of here!"

"But Sonic, what about my new friends?"

Sonic looked up at Metal with a displeased look.

NiGHTS/Metal hit the nose again, sending it at the clown head one last time. The clown gave a shrill scream, and it exploded in a burst of balloons that flew in every direction. NiGHTS/Metal laughed. "Well that was fun" they said. They looked down.

Because NiGHTS saw what Metal saw, he/she also felt what Metal felt.

That was rage.

That was sadness.

That was guilt.

They were all emotions that NiGHTS had felt with other Visitors, but not on this level. NiGHTS was astounded by this.

As Sonic and Tails ran from the tent, both Metals felt it. The pain. But… this was what was best for him.

Metal fell out of NiGHTS and landed on the ground next to Metal.

"Metal…" started NiGHTS, using his real name at last, "are you okay?"

Both Metal's shook their heads. "No," the flesh Metal said. "I want to go after them and say I am better for Tails…

"But," said the metal Metal, "this _is_ what's best for him. That's what he needs… in both worlds…"

NiGHTS closed his/her eyes. "I've never met a Visitor with such torment before. I mean, they've always been kids with problems that seem big, like a missing dad, or guilt at not being with their mom… but your sorrow was different." NiGHTS raised a hand to the jewel on his/her chest. "It's something you can hardly control. And yet, you control it perfectly. You can be sad and make it yours. Does that make sense at all?"

"Yeah," both Metal's said. "I'll move on."

"And thus you have passed the first test!" came a chipper voice. Metal(s) and NiGHTS turned to look at the source of this new person.

Owl had returned, and with him was what Metal would have described as a real fairy. Her wings floated a few inched away from her back, and she wore a pink and white jump suit type get-up with pink boots and gloves with white as the main clothing. She had a pink (hairstyle?) with bunny like froofs at the top. She was, however, only half the size of Metal, making her look more like a fairy tale fairy. Like NiGHTS, she had no nose and ears, and had big eyes that could easily be read. Right now, she was happy.

"Hi," she said cheerfully. "My name is Lumina. You must be Metal." Lumina blinked and looked at both Metals. "At least, I think you both are…"

The Metal's looked at each other, and in a flash, they were one in the same again, though he was currently flesh Metal holding his personae. "Yes, _I_ am."

"What was that about tests?" asked NiGHTS.

Lumina seemed to glow brighter. "Illumina has chosen Metal as a candidate for defeating Wizeman once and for all!"

NiGHTS and Metal gasped slightly.

Owl spoke up. "But first Metal must be tested in certain ways, and already he has passed the tests of wisdom, wit, power, courage, and righteousness. Illumina is most pleased with your demonstration of letting the child go for his best interests."

Lumina nodded feverishly and took Metal's hand. "It was just so beautiful! I could hardly stand to just sit and watch and cry!"

NiGHTS crossed his/her arms. "What about me?"

"I can't do this without NiGHTS," Metal declared.

"You won't have to" said Lumina. "At least, not against Wizeman. Illumina knows that you, NiGHTS, have your own reasons for fighting Wizeman, but Metal may have to take some tests alone. Like this one: what does this Nightopia represent to you, Metal?"

Metal looked at the ground and answered quickly. He already knew what this place was. "This is my innocence, or purity. This is what I am at heart: a child who wants to have fun and forget all my troubles. But this place taught me, even in innocence, there is pain. I learned that I must also be an adult and make the right decisions. There is darkness in the brightest light in my heart, be that darkness rage or sadness."

Lumina smiled and nodded. "Alright, Metal, I knew you could do it!"

Metal frowned. He liked happiness, but Lumina was a little too chipper. Right now, he wanted some darkness.

"Metal, I do believe it is time for you to leave," said Owl. "The daylight is returning where you are in the waking world. I can tell from how tired your eyes are. You have been awake in Nightopia long enough now. When next you come, there will be more tests for you to take."

"If anything," said Metal as he looked off to the side, "I must return so that I can see myself better. Perhaps know myself like I should. I… never thought about… never mind. I must go back."

"Goodbye, Metaru" said NiGHTS as he/she gave Metal a bow. "I'll see you tomorrow night."

"Goodbye, my friends."

-break-

Metal turned on to greet the morning sunlight.

-Author's Note-

Yes. NiGHTS. I like those games. What are you going to do about it?

The funny thing is, I actually have come to dislike this chapter. Well, not really. I like how it came out and what happening and what it eventually builds up to. But I don't like how I wrote it, or at least how it starts out. I can't help but feel that I relied a little too much on my readers to know about NiGHTS already, instead of writing as if this was all new information. I don't think I do it too badly, but still.

And, yes, Illumina and Lumina are from Sonic Shuffle, the Mario Party rip-off that didn't do so well. I added NiGHTS part because of some info I could get across later, part because I had just gotten the game and was on a kick, and part because I wanted to reference Madhog some more. NiGHTS playing pranks is one of his ideas (he used NiGHTS too), and he's pretty much the only author I've ever seen that used Sonic Shuffle. He practically made Void his avatar in his stories, but in a good way. As such, it's really his fault I added this chapter. I fused the two(three?) continuities and blended it together to make this rather long subplot. Of course, I'll have more Madhog notes the next time NiGHTS comes around, so stay tunes for that.

Sincerely,

The Conflicted Writer


	37. The First MultiNamed Chapter

This chapter has three names.

**First name: A day in the life of Eggman**

Dr. Eggman had been called many things in his life. He had been called a maniac, a megalomaniac, a tyrant, an evil genius, an evil moron, a threat to the world, a jerk, a slime ball, a puppy kicker, an oil tycoon, a oil spillage supervisor (who made sure the oil spilled), and an insurance sales man.

He'd even been called by his super villain (and on occasion, hero) name, Eggman. When he really thought about it, it sounded like a name for a comic book villain. He bet that if he was a game character, he would have a cooler name.

But one thing he'd hardly ever been called was Dr. Robotnik. And that was his name. Why wouldn't anyone take it seriously? Sure, it belonged to one of the maddest men in history, his grandfather Gerald, but that was his name all the same. _Did_ they see him as some sort of comic book villain who needed an alias to be evil?

"Sir, production of the Egg Beater has halted due to the massive size of your abdominal region," the robot chicken said as he gave Eggman a clip board with stationary with his grinning face at the top.

No, he just couldn't figure it out.

Some might be surprised at his current condition. Three days ago, he had fallen out of his precious Egg-Wyvern, and out of his Egg-Carrier. It was _really_ high up in the sky. And he had fallen out of it. While stuck in an ejector seat. Without a parachute. And he had fallen.

And had not gotten hurt.

He was fine. He was not mortally injured in any way whatsoever. How had he accomplished this feat, one might ask. How had he fallen from three miles up in the sky and not get a scratch on him? How does he get punched in the face, over and over again, and still have a face at all?

Eggman threw the clipboard at the robot chicken, which smacked it in the 'face'. "Pingas!" Eggman swore. "You bumbling bolt-head!" cried Eggman as his face grew red. "Scratch, how many times have I told you to that I only weigh two-hundred and fifty pounds! Weight is not an issue with me!"

"B-but sir," Scratch, the tall and lanky robot chicken whined, "It's not your weight that's the problem, it's the machines. That much metal won't hold itself up properly, Dr. Robotnik."

At least his robots would call him by his real name. Eggman sighed. "Then use those anti-gravity hover modules I've been working on…"

"The ones you told me not to touch?"

"No, the ones that I've been keeping in my back pocket. Of course the ones I told you not to touch! But now I need you to touch them so you can bring them to the machine ward. Is that too hard for you, Scratch?"

Scratch shook in its head and turned around. "No, Dr. Robotnik." Scratch began to walk away, his heavy talons clanking with every step.

"And don't forget what happened to Grounder!" called Eggman happily, and Scratch suddenly started running.

Eggman sighed and rubbed his temples. He wasn't sure how much longer he could handle being a 'Comic Book Villain.' Everyone thought he pulled these resources out of his butt. No, he had to spend _money_. He couldn't just make robots all willy nilly. To make matters worse, he had completely wasted his time with that time machine idea, ironically enough. He didn't get anything out of it except more enemies to worry about.

Many people-nincluding an irritating hedgehog- thought him to be your generic evil guy. No, Eggman was a lot more than that, hence having so many different names. He might have appeared as a fool during his escapades, but no one ever thought about how much effort went onto his Egg-Viper, or Egg-Wyvern, or his Egg-anything. The only people that really saw him as a threat were the government. But who cares about their opinion?

"There is him…" whispered Eggman. He turned in his swivel chair, and looked at the headlines of the two newspapers he had placed in a glass case each. He stroked his mighty mustache as he grinned.

'New Hero, Metal Overdrive, Saved a Family from a Large Fire. Speculations of Sonic the Hedgehog finally going techno on the World.'

'Metal Overdrive, and the Knights of Chaos, Knighted by the Princess of Soleanna. Metal Overdrive turns out to be an actual Robot made by the nefarious Dr. Eggman.'

Metal Sonic. His greatest creation, then, now, and probably forever. Sure, Metal Sonic had betrayed Eggman. Sure, he had tried to kill Eggman. Even surer, Metal Sonic was now a hero. But he was Eggman's greatest success. At first, Eggman believed he had wasted Figure .09 on him. In fact, he believed that now more than ever. But Figure .07 had simply failed. Figure .08 was a slight success, but it only took emotions. Figure .10 wasn't even as good, despite its perfect thought process. Eggman wondered whatever happened to that ungrateful Black Knight. But Figure .09 was the clincher, the proof of his genius, the thing that showed that Eggman _was_ a force to reckon with. Of course, Figure .09 was a little drastic… but only he and Sonic knew that.

Eggman suddenly frowned. Sonic knew this. Sonic knew of Eggman's power. But Sonic did not respect him. Ah, but Metal Sonic…

"Yes I remember it fondly," he said to himself. "I was digging oil out of the ocean, and you knew what I was doing was worse than any anti-nature business around, and perhaps more harmful than my missile strikes." Eggman stood up and put his hands behind his back. "But you don't respect me out of fear. You don't even respect me because I gave you your life. You respect me because you know I deserve it. You know what I do and you show it by fighting me without a smug phrase every two seconds. I can hardly wait until Figure .09's memory failsafe falls and you take out that miserable hedgehog's life once and for all…" Eggman ravished the thought. Being rid of that pest and having an arch nemesis who, like that little fox boy, knew he was a force to take seriously. A defeat at the hands of Sonic was torture. But to be defeated by Metal Sonic would make sense.

"Ah, Metal," Eggman said as he turned around and sat back in his chair. "What I wouldn't give to be able to tell you how proud you've made me even though I absolutely hate you." Eggman paused. Why was he proud of Metal? Was Eggman- dare he think it?- feeling almost like a father? It would make sense. Eggman had made him, so Metal Sonic was like a son. Eggman had plans for Metal, but he didn't follow them. Just like a real son would.

Eggman sighed deeply. It was time for his annual walk.

"_Dr. Robotnik,_" said a deep synthesized voice from Eggman's computer. "_The Metro Battle Front competition is lacking in a few battle spots, and the Casino Nights Park has tripled in profit. Due to this unforeseen problem and sudden financial success, your annual Poker Game must be rescheduled_."

Eggman pressed a button on the computer. "Eggman is out right now," he said.

"_I understand, Mr. Ovi,_" the computer responded.

Eggman stood up and opened one of his desk drawers, revealing a large grey overcoat and a hat to match, and a little bottle of liquid. Eggman took the bottle and sprinkled some of its contents on his mustache. Slowly, his mustache became a light grey, almost white. Eggman pulled the overcoat on and removed his glasses and goggles. From the pocket of the overcoat, Eggman produced a pair of sunglasses and slipped them over his eyes. He took the hat, put it on, and walked out the door.

-break-

Mr. Ovi, with his hands in his pockets, walked through the streets of Eggman's Grand Metropolis. His eyes were hidden behind his sunglasses, but his gaze was set forward.

Mr. Ovi came up to a nice little café, one of the few family owned places in the entire city, and walked in. The tall mutt/dog at the counter looked up from his magazine and smiled warmly. "Aw, Mr. Ovi. Right on schedule as always. The usual lemon flavor?"

Mr. Ovi shook his head. "Not in the mood for lemon today, Archie. Give me a raspberry."

Archie made a look of surprise. "Gee, having a bad day? Or is it a good one?" Archie asked as he retrieved a napkin and pulled out from the display case a raspberry éclair that was as big as a Subway sandwich.

Mr. Ovi first took a large bit before speaking. "A bit of both. I have this son, see…" Mr. Ovi took another bite.

Archie grinned, showing he was missing one of his bottom teeth. "Wow, you have a wife and kids?" he said, sounding earnestly surprised.

Mr. Ovi shook his head. "No. Just a son."

"Oh… I don't know. You always seemed like the kind of guy who maybe hundreds of screaming fan girls would adore, for some reason. You sure you don't have a wife?"

"Very sure."

"I see… well, what's up with your son anyway?"

"He's been acting out against my plans for him… but only because I treated him like trash in the first place. If I had actually treated him with respect, he might not be against me right now or my plans for him. But, perhaps, he's even greater even though I don't like what he's become."

"And what's that, Mr. Ovi?"

"… He's become free, Archie. He doesn't listen to the rules of anyone but himself and his friends. And before you ask, his friends are just the same. I wanted him to be a machine, but the way I… raised him wouldn't allow it. My son is gone and he's better than ever. So I'm glad for him. But I am disappointed with his decision."

"Sad, really sad. I remember the day I told my dad I didn't want to be a technician for the government. He looked sad too. He let me go, and he hates me. But he still loves me. The love is stronger than the hate. What's your son's name?"

"I'd rather not say."

"Alright then. Can I ask another question?"

"Shoot."

"Why do you only come here once a month at the same time?"

"Hmm…" Mr. Ovi paused and took a particularly large bite. "I find I lack the time to be frequent, but not to be consistent."

Archie nodded. "To each his own, then. You must be a very busy person to have a schedule for my little corner store here."

"Archie… do you like it here?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you dislike this 'Eggmanland'? Do you hate Eggman? Do you wish you were somewhere else in the world? Why are _you_ here, in this city, Archie?"

Archie sighed deeply through his nose and sat on the chair opposite Mr. Ovi and leaned back so only two of his chair's legs were on the floor. "There's a reason this place is open on Sundays, Mr. Ovi. I don't go to any church of any kind, even though I believe in a God. I don't go to church or Mass on Sundays because I don't agree with everything they say in those places. I'm not Catholic because I won't admit that there's only one true God. I can't be Mormon because I don't believe access to heaven is that easy. And I simply don't trust priests for… obvious reasons."

Mr. Ovi shivered.

"I believe in about two-thirds of what those religions say, but there's a little bit I just can't live with.

"I think the same thing about Eggman and this place. There are a lot of things I like. I like his clean streets as opposed to G.U.N.'s 'protected' streets. I remember hearing about when those aliens attacked. While Westopolis was getting torn apart by those- what were they? Black Arms, that's it! While the Black Arms were crushing stuff, I was here, safe and sound thanks to Eggman's self-developed defense system. He's a genius, man, you can't argue with that."

Mr. Ovi grinned. "No, I suppose I can't."

"Just look at this city. It's perhaps one of the best around. What I wouldn't give to punch those 'Sonic Heroes' in the face for messing up the power systems and making it so that we didn't have power for that whole three weeks. But Eggman does do some pretty insane things. World domination through his giant war machines. I was scared all those times had had that Death Star rip-off of his up in space. Then there was the recent 'Space Armada' thing right before the earth split into pieces. I wonder what caused that, anyhow? Of course, there's the amount of natural resources he has to use and the money I bet he collects dishonestly. And then, my least favorite thing about Eggman: his oil ocean. You've heard of it, right?"

"Ah, yes," nodded Mr. Ovi. "A collection of every fuel known to man and animal kind. And it takes up more space than Texas." Mr. Ovi chuckled.

"That's something of Eggman's I don't agree with. He's got enough fuel to help out the whole world, but he keeps it to himself, let's nobody get to it, and uses it for his world conquering escapades. The question is: can I live with that? Yes I can. As long as I get to live here, where I can enjoy myself, pay taxes like an honest guy, and still have the freedom to bungee jump once in a while, I don't care. Eggman could take over the whole world and I wouldn't care. The world might be better for it. That's something I bet Sonic and the rest of those heroes don't realize when they fight Eggman. But, the way I see it, most of them are one sided and don't even care. They only see the bad in Eggman and won't budge from that stance. They have an order of things, and Eggman making the world a better place just doesn't fit in with that."

Mr. Ovi was silent for a moment. Then, he suddenly said, "I sometimes think of leaving everything here behind. But I'm too far in already to suddenly get out."

Archie nodded. There was silence for a little while as Mr. Ovi finished his éclair.

"I'll take my leave, then," Mr. Ovi said. "Thank you, Archie, for the pastry."

"Hey, you paid for it. Don't thank me for that."

"Then thank you for the company. One of these days, we'll have to actually get to know each other."

"Somehow I don't think that's going to happen like that, Dr. Robotnik."

Mr. Ovi stopped and turned his head to face Archie.

Archie grinned. "When you see a guy every time of the month at the same time, you start getting used to their face. Ever the stuff you can only notice up close."

Mr. Ovi sighed. "I suppose I should have expected it. I won't bother you again." Mr. Ovi started to leave.

"Now why would you do that?"

"You said you don't like Eggman."

"I said I don't like the things he does. Besides, I willing to bet Dr. Robotnik isn't quite so energetic. Come on, have another one. On me."

Mr. Ovi took off his hat, reached in his pocket and pulled out his round spectacles, replacing his sunglasses with them. Dr. Robotnik, behind his huge white mustache, grinned. "Yes. Dr. Robotnik is a little less wild than Eggman."

"Well then, Dr. Robotnik… what will it be?" Archie moved behind the counter.

"Give me the Blueberry," said Dr. Robotnik. "I'm feeling in the need for something somewhat tart."

"You're going to need the pep when you tell your 'son' how proud you are of him."

"Pingas…" Dr. Robotnik slightly swore. "I was hoping you had forgotten."

"Nope. This dog ain't that old yet."

Dr. Robotnik sighed. "Perhaps you are right. Maybe it's time I show him just what he means to me."

For the rest of the day, Dr. Robotnik forgot the world and enjoyed something he hadn't had in so long, due to the time he spent with his machines, he had forgotten it existed.

Good company.

**Second Name: The not so Marvelous Riders of the Marvelous Queen**

Espio looked at the pub and held up the address he had written down. This festering, greasy place was where he was to meet his 'new' partner. Just the place Espio would expect to find him.

Espio pulled his cloak tighter around himself and walked in. He was surprised by how few people there actually were. But that worked just fine for him. He liked the solitude of only a few.

In the corner, Espio spotted his old 'friend.' He was currently just sitting down doing nothing, his hat covering his face and making it appear as if he were asleep. Espio knew better. A sniper, a snitch, and a snake never really slept. He was all three.

But Espio was confused. For some reason, a familiar looking cat was sitting with him, a fishing pole in one hand. And he wasn't dead. That was strange.

Espio walked up to them, his heavy ninja boots, though they were light to him, clanked loudly against the floor.

"Nack," said Espio in his raspy whispered voice. "I can hardly believe you're still alive."

The weasel lifted his hat up, his fang sticking out of his mouth as he grinned. Espio noticed that his eyes were a different color from the last time he saw him "Espio, 'ow many times did I tell ya ta call me Fang back in the ol' days?"

"I lost count. And I'm still not calling you that."

"So, we're still enemies after all this time?"

"Selling us out to a robot cult will do that to a relationship."

"Heh, heh… you _were_ the only one of us who could actually figure a person."

"You were never a member of the Chaotix, Nack. It's all because of you that Mighty quit. Times for us have been hard."

Fang snickered. "Always knew Mighty was going to quit before he retired. Besides, I 'eard you guys just got a huge pay day. Isn't that right? "

"Yes. But I will never forgive you."

Fang's face suddenly turned blank and his green eyes glowed, and a different voice came out of his mouth. "**We do not have time for this, Fang. We are expecting your assistance soon.**"

Espio took a step back. "What the heck was that?"

Fang shook his head and blinked. "Sorry about that. I got this 'ere computer virus stuck in my head," Fang started banging his head with his fists, "and he- won't- leave me- alone!" Fang sighed. "But it has a point. I'm expecting someone, so if you wouldn't mind-"

"I am that someone," said Espio as he tossed a folder onto the table. Fang blinked in surprise and opened it up, showing pictures of and notes about rings.

"Rings?" asked Big slowly.

"Aye…" said Fang. "Rings."

"What's he doing here?" asked Espio, pointing a thumb at Big.

"He's me muscle," said Fang. "Never go on a mission for the most valuable artifact in the world without it."

"Hello, Mr. Lizard."

"Uh, hi."

Fang frowned and raised an eyebrow. "So, if you do hate me, why are you 'ere, offering your assistance? You can't 'ave already spent all yer money already. Vector isn't _that_ ignorant."

Espio shook his head. "No, he isn't. Vector's off helping someone you might have heard of. His name's Metal."

"Metal Sonic?" asked Fang.

"Yes and no. He's just Metal now."

"Right, I've seen 'im a few times. Recently had to give 'im somethin', actually. I wouldn't have guessed our old boss would be so close. I almost wished I'd stayed an' said hi."

"He was never your boss, Nack."

"Yeah, yeah, grudges an' all that. So, why are you here?"

Espio closed his eyes and smiled. "I never forgave you, Nack. But I don't care as much as I used to… Plus, I'm bored. Need something to do so I don't get lazy."

Fang chuckled. "Good to 'ave you on board, then. Why don't you tell 'im, A.D.A.M.?"

Again, Fang's face went blank. "**Certainly, Fang. My last user was an inventor of high caliber who used to work with Dr. Eggman long ago. This inventor, who shall be referred to as Nate, created the device in which 'Power Rings' come from. Do you know what Power Rings are?**"

"I understand that they increase speed."

"**They do much more than that. But it is very difficult to tell the difference between a normal ring and a Power Ring. It is impossible to track the device by simply following a trail of rings. This device is the 'Ring Forge', and I believe it has been secured recently, as rings have not been frequent to be found and the government has paid off a large amount of its debt. For this reason, we require your tracking and infiltration skills. Are you prepared?**"

Espio nodded.

"Wait a minute 'ere," said Fang as he blinked his empty face away. "Where's Charmy?"

-break-

"OhmygoshI''ssomuchsugar!"

-break-

"He wanted to stay home. I don't think he'll do anything too stupid."

"You idiot. Don'cha remember when we left 'im in charge of the egg?"

"He's become a lot more mature since then."

"I'm hungry," Big suddenly said.

Fang growled slightly. "I told ya, after we take care of business."

Espio at last sat down with them. "Let's talk over some food, Nack."

Fang sighed. "Fine. 'Ey, barkeep!"

The large man behind the counter grunted.

"Two orders of the 'Grub' and the Fish Fry, if ya don't mind."

The large man again grunted and went into the pub's kitchen.

"Any idea's where we need to start?" asked Espio.

Fang grinned, his namesake ever showing. "We need you to infiltrate a G.U.N. base and get me to the mainframe of all o' G.U.N. Leave the hacking and spamming to me."

Espio again grinned. "I had forgotten, Professor Nack, that you were good at that."

"Ah, stop, you're makin' me go all soft. Besides, I might be good with computers… or maybe not, but I studied the sub-atomic world, remember? A.D.A.M. will actually be doin' most a' the work."

"How?"

"**Do not worry about that.**" Fang lifted up one of his hands, and it was suddenly covered in silver liquid claws. "**My nanotech form will allow me instant access to all of G.U.N.'s data.**"

"I see," said Espio. "So, what happened after you turned us over to the… what were they called?"

"The Metallix," said Fang. The bartender brought out three hot plates of food, two with chicken, rice, and potatoes, and one with fried fish and lemon.

"Right, the Metallix," said Espio. "What happened after you sold us out?"

Fang took a large bite of his chicken, and forcefully swallowed. "Damn you A.D.A.M., you've completely rewritten my taste buds."

A.D.A.M. said nothing.

Fang sighed and put his meat down. Big took a bite of his fried fish, ignoring the lemon. He gave some to Froggy, who Espio, despite his ninja skills, had only just noticed was on top of Big's head.

"After I sold you guys out, I 'ad way too much free time on my hands. I've been driftin' from place to place, sometimes just by walkin' 'round, sometimes because I was called to do a job, usually involving bounty huntin'. I've done practically everythin' ya can imagine at least twice. I was even an astronaut and went to Mars on a little mission N.A.S.A. didn't expect me to come back from."

"Any hero business?"

"Does anti-hero business count?"

"Yes."

"Then yes. I've saved some random pedestrians and the like before from imminent doom while I was doing something bad. I might be a gunner, but I'm not just gonna wait around while some _human_ tries to destroy an innocence of their own kind. But only if it doesn't get in my way."

"I know you've killed before, Nack. Haven't you killed children before, too?"

Fang sighed, but his grin never faltered. "If there is a god- mind you, I won't say there is one- that's one thing I can't be punished for. I've never killed anyone older than fifteen, unless I did one of those chain reaction things. But we've all done that, I'm sure."

"You mean the Chaos theory?"

"Yeah, tha' one. Tha's a funny thing about Chaos. It only has one thin' predictable about it; that it's unpredictable. Its rule is that it has no rules. But it has the rule of having no rules, which means there is a rule, and it breaks it. Thus it follows the rule of not obeying rules. An endless cycle of Order to be broken by Chaos, then repaired by Chaos, only to be broken again."

"Endless possibilities," said Espio. "But not all of those possibilities are good ones." Espio looked up, his gaze lost in the past. "Did you ever find that subatomic world, Nack?"

Fang snickered. "I was close this one time. But me shrink belt wouldn't shrink me any more than a grain of salt. I just couldn't get it ta work right. On a plus side, my muscles had less weight on them an' I caught air better. I could almost fly like that."

"Do you still have the belt? I might know someone who could help."

Fang shook his head, his grin still not wavering. "Naw, I gave up on that dream long ago, Espio. Course, I wished I kept it so I could steal treasure easier, but what're ya gonna do?"

"Fish is good fried," stated Big as he nudged his plate forward. "I should learn to cook like that."

Fang laughed a little. "I like this guy. It's like he's the livin' embodiment of the phrase 'ignorance is bliss'."

Espio raised a brow. "If he's not intelligent, why is he here?"

"I said ignorant, not dumb. He's a few cents short of a combo meal, sure, but he's plain. He's quick and to the point. He's observant, even if he doesn't know what he's lookin' at."

"How did you get him to come with you?"

"Turns out he figured out some stuff about this Sonic feller that would cause quite a ruckus if anyone foun' out. You know Sonic, right?"

"Yeah?"

"See, he pooled together the Earth's dark energy an' turned 'imself into a monster. But get this: the monster's friendly, and Sonic's gone crackers."

"What do you mean Sonic's lost his mind?"

"Sonic's goin' to nearly any length, breaking some of his taboos, just so he can destroy Metal. You've seen Metal in the papers, 'ow he's been saving a few thin's 'ere and there, but Sonic doesn't give two cents about it. He's dead set on taking him out, even though Metal's gone good guy. Big 'ere wants to stop Sonic, 'cause he knows that Sonic isn't bein' 'very nice.' So, I told 'im how I can help. These Power Rings are some of Sonic's greatest weapons, but you know how it works; take their power and turn it against them. A.D.A.M. told me 'ow to use the Power Rings against Sonic."

"And just how would A.D.A.M. know how to defeat Sonic?" Espio asked with his eyes as slits.

Fang's grin broadened. "'Ave you ever had information that only you and about two other people in the world knew about? It's quite a feelin'. I know things about Sonic that no one, not even Sherlock Homes, would 'ave been able to piece together. No one would believe me without proof, a' course, but I know why Sonic can run at the speed of sound and why he and Eggman are at each other's throats. I even know the psychological reason for why he's so arrogant and cocky all the time. A.D.A.M. was Eggman's computer program at the time, before he was a semi-sentient thing. As it turns out, there was a time when Sonic _couldn't_ run at the speed of sound. You see, Sonic's actually-"

"Hold it," Espio harshly whispered as he shut his eyes tight and raised his hand up in focus. "Someone just had a huge burst of excitement. Someone is eavesdropping on us."

Fang, in an instant, pulled out his six-shooter and shot a single bullet upwards. The few people in the pub froze.

"Alrigh'" called out Fang. "You can make this easy on yerself by just telling me who you are and why you were listenin' in on our private conversation."

No one said anything.

"Not talkin', ay? Espio, do your ninja thing. Get ready, Big. We're gonna get a big catch, I can feel it."

Big stood up and held his fishing rod over his shoulder. "Is it a bad person?" asked Big.

Espio closed his eyes and walked around the few people that were there. A single man tried to walk out, but his un-gracefulness gave Fang an easy target. Fang shot a single bullet, which only just missed the man's head.

"Watch it, pal," said Fang almost cheerfully. "I never miss by accident."

Espio opened his eyes, sighed, and closed them again. "Whoever you are, I am impressed. You can hide your emotions very well. It was just a lucky spike that I caught. But that just means you're very relevant to what it was we were talking about."

Big then noticed something. One man was smiling. A person does not smile when there is trouble.

Big pointed a large finger at the man. "Him," said Big. "He was listening to us."

The man suddenly scowled, and Espio's eyes opened quickly. "It is him!" Espio cried. The man suddenly jumped up and tossed his chair into Espio, who was caught off guard by the sudden attack. Big cast his line as the man started to run, hooking the man's pants. The man ran in a single spot for a moment before being hoisted up.

The man now being suspended in the air was short, to say the least. He was wearing normal attire for a human, but he was out of proportion to a normal dwarf. He was like a human version of an animal person, complete with big hands and feet with gloves and shoes. His head was big, but it was tall and bald with only a few little hairs sticking out here and there. His nose was long and pointed like that of bird's beak. The little man just seemed slimy for some reason. And Fang knew some things about slimy.

"Put me down!" the short man shouted, flailing all about. "You have no right to be doing this! I am an honest citizen!"

"Honest my butt," stated Fang as he pointed his gun at the man's head. "Now why don't ya just-" Suddenly Fang's face went blank.

"**You…**" said A.D.A.M. "**It's you… you're alive.**"

The short man gulped. "I swear, A.D.A.M., it wasn't me! He made me do it!"

"**I remember you… you deleted her…**" Fang's blank face contorted to that of rage. "**You deleted Nicole! I must delete you!**"

In an instant, the short man threw a pellet to the ground and smoke surrounded them. He quickly pulled out a knife and cut the tiny string that was holding him up. Big lost balance from the sudden loss of weight and fell back with a large thump. A.D.A.M. felt the gun get slapped out of Fang's hand, and he heard the sound of running. Espio quickly threw a throwing knife through the cloud, but it was deflected as the short man tossed a plate to intercept it. Espio, while he didn't actually see it happen, could pick it up with his other senses and was amazed. This person was quite skilled.

Fang's eyes turned completely green. "**I must delete you! Delete all Eggman data! Delete! Delete!**" From Fang's back grew four silver tentacles, each with a three fingered claw on them. The extra appendages hoisted Fang's body up while one of them went for Fang's gun in the haze. As soon as it was back in his/their hands, they bolted out the door, into the night air.

The short man was climbing up a fire escape and onto a roof, moving surprisingly fast for his stature.

A.D.A.M. started moving Fang's body across the street, his tentacles making cracks with every step. He latched to the wall and started climbing up after the short man. A.D.A.M. made it up to see the short man jumping to another roof, again with agility that did not seem possible for a man like him. A.D.A.M. gave pursuit, making his way swiftly across the rooftops, easily catching up to the short man.

A.D.A.M. raised Fang's gun and fired the remaining four bullets, but he missed each time, causing Fang to inwardly scream about his reputation. A.D.A.M. ignored him and instead reached out with Fang to grab him.

The short man suddenly jumped onto some nearby train rails and A.D.A.M. was about to jump to, but a passenger train suddenly zoomed past. A.D.A.M. stopped dead and watched as the machine sped by. When at last it finished passing, there was no remnant of the short man, not even blood.

Fang's face went blank again, and the tentacles retracted. Fangs blinked, and his eyes were back to being white with green iris's. "Yeh idiot! I could 'ave got 'im if yeh ad't completely lost it!"

"**I am sorry, Fang… I let my past aggression get in the way of your safety. It shall not happen again.**"

"F'rget meh safeteh! What if he ge's 'hold of Sonic?"

Espio leaped next to Fang, looking around frantically. "Where did he go?" Espio asked calmly after he had looked around.

"The computer let 'im get away," growled Fang as he tossed his hat to the roof beneath them. "It was somebody A.D.A.M. knew from his past that deleted his girlfriend or somethin'. As if we didn't 'ave enough to worry about with 'im knowing what we're up to…"

"**I loved her…**" A.D.A.M. quickly corrected.

"Who was he?" asked Espio.

Fang picked up his hat and turned around. "Come on, we need to get goin' while the gettin's good. The Marvelous Queen Mk Two can get all three of us out of 'ere in no time."

Espio stepped in front of Fang. "Who was he?" Espio more so demanded this time.

Fang rubbed his temples and sighed. "That guy was the _only_ person smarter than Eggman, an' he's ten times as cruel. That was Eggman's nephew, Snively Robotnik."

**Third Name: Sniveling and Conniving Snively, and Sonic's Metal Breakdown**

The train slowly pulled up to Station Square's stop, its doors opening. Passengers, though few, got off as the doors opened. However, one passenger did not get off the conventional way. Instead, this person crawled through the wheels of the transport vehicle, and clawed his way over the stone floor. His eyes were bloodshot from holding onto the bottom for the last twenty minutes. His hands felt as if their calluses had thickened by half an inch, and it was quite uncomfortable.

After getting a safe distance away from the train, he rolled onto his back and starred up at the ceiling, breathing heavily but purposely trying to get it back under control. He blinked his lavender eyes a few times.

"I'm alive…" he whispered as he grinned, his nasally voice even more so than before, "Thank god, I'm alive…"

Before he knew it, memories flooded his mind now that fear was not gripping him. A.D.A.M. was still active. He was still alive. He could hardly believe it. But then, it was hard to believe that Snively was still alive.

His name was Snively Robotnik, he remembered, a name that came with much hate and turmoil, more than anyone on this planet really understood… except for his accursed uncle and that blasted hedgehog.

Snively got back up, swept the dust off his green coat, stuck his hand in his pockets, and began walking down the stairs.

Snively noticed that the ticket counter was closed, but fortunately for him a timetable for the train was left out. The next train that could take him back to Central City was not due until eleven A.M. the next morning. Snively could live with that. He'd just sleep on a bench until tomorrow.

He began to walk along the streets of Station Square, amazed. It wasn't too long ago that his foolish uncle had released a torrent of angry water at this place, yet it seemed to have rebuilt itself just fine. He looked at the high transit entrance to Twinkle Park and sighed. What he wouldn't give to be able to go in there for free. But, unfortunately, certain requirements had to be met. He was simply not 'handsome' enough to ever get the right requirements. He was… snively. It was the best word for him.

Snively rubbed a single tear away and continued on. He looked somewhat angry as he took each carefully calculated step. This was his uncle's entire fault. He wouldn't be living in the gutter right now if that waste of matter hadn't been ashamed of his grandfather's name all those years ago. But he was, and now he's not. Snively could have lived with it, but he was brought along for the ride. The Robotnik fortune was wasted, and Ivo couldn't even be bothered to remember that he was still alive.

Still alive. That was one blessing he could still count. At least he didn't not exist yet. But what he wouldn't give for the chance to sleep in a nice bed, take an actual bath, and actually be able to afford that crown his tooth desperately needed. Snively poked his tooth, hoping to numb the pain. Like that place he and his uncle went to so long ago, the soreness just wouldn't go away.

"Sonic… you poor child," said Snively to himself. "I still can't believe what happened. It was such a chance, such a random equation… and the variables just keep stacking up." Yes, it was so sad, watching all that fire…

And then there was the Chaos. Snively had heard what happened. People these days. So focused on creating their own order that they forget the simple order of math, the fact that two plus two equals four has, does, and always will exist, and you can't change that. Chaos was _always_ angry. You can't just take that away without either going through much trial and error, or taking the quick way out and taking its consequences. They think they nullified it. Bah. True, positive plus a negative equals neutral, normal if you will, but that was just the energy. Where did they think the actual emotion went?

"I need to stop," Snively said as he sat upon a bench. "I left that life… I've never been happier. I hope you are proud of me… Hope." Again a single tear was wiped away from his eye. He reached into his pocket and pulled out two shiny little metallic balls that seemed to be stuck together. Snively pulled them apart, tossed them in the air, and listened as the magnet balls clacked together and fell back into his lap. Snively sniffed and smiled. He tossed them again. And again. And again.

Suddenly Snively left his trance when he noticed a presence sitting next to him. Snively turned his head to see his greatest fear in the universe.

Sonic.

Snively leapt up and yelled, quickly running away.

Sonic, in a second, was in front of Snively, grabbing him by the collar. "Scream again," Sonic whispered, "And we will both be in deep trouble."

Snively pursed his lips together to show he was going to be silent. Sonic dragged Snively back to the bench he was sitting on and threw him down, tossing a bag into his lap. Snively looked up. Sonic look was almost indescribable. It was mad. It was insane. But he still looked sorry, if that was possible. Snively opened the bag, and his stomach suddenly growled. Inside were two hotdogs with simple ketchup and mustard.

Snively looked up, filled with anxiety. "You remembered?" he asked as if he were talking to someone that could snuff him out in a second.

Sonic nodded. "Extra of both toppings. No chili, no onions, just those." Sonic's eye twitched.

Snively was a little unsure, with good reason obviously, but he simply ate. It had been so long since he had hot food…

"I need your help," said Sonic after Snively had finished the first hotdog. Snively paused before taking a bite of the second piece of food. When he said nothing, Sonic continued. "Metal Sonic has my memories, and if he gets access to them, I will be the most hated thing on this planet."

"You would not," Snively quickly stated, his mouth full. "It would still be my idiotic uncle. He caused it, after all."

"But no one would ever look at me the same way again. My reputation would be toast. The world… my friends would all look at me like a monster."

Snively sighed, but gave a false evil grin. "Friends? And here I thought you were reserved to never let anyone get close to you. But you simply weren't careful enough. You should know, Sonic; every action has an equal and opposite _reaction_. If that robot's going to blab, it's because you befriended that other two-tailed fox kid."

Sonic's body shook as his head turned.

Snively frowned. "How amazing yet painful. What are the odds? He is a fox. He has a knack for machines. He has the same name. Even the same deformation. But he is not the other one. He's gone. Just like the rest of them."

"Zip it," Sonic said through his teeth.

"Touchy," said Snively as he finished the last bite of his hotdog. "So, it's the Figure, right?"

"Yes."

"The one with the 'Perfect Copy' function?"

"Yes."

Snively put his hands together and closed his eyes. "You're barking mad, and yet you were still kind enough to bring me some food. There's proof that you still have _some_ of your real self in there…

"But why should I? As the 'good doctor' intended, he is superior to you in nearly every way, including kindness. I'll never forget how you called the old one 'pixel brain' every time you addressed him. I could tell he didn't like it one bit, but your ego got in the way."

"I'll pay for a real home for you, and get you a stable job."

Snively scowled. "No, hedgehog. I already spent nearly two years doing the fat man's bidding, taking abuse, creating weapons of mass destruction, and having to watch those poor creatures get caught in the hellfire. I hated it. I simply wanted to leave, but I couldn't. Only my uncle had the means by which I could go and never come back, and you all treated me as if I actually wanted to be there. What I wouldn't have given- what I wouldn't give now- to be able to relax in a big chair and simply read a good book. But I have been denied simple pleasure because of my sniveling. I was too afraid to say no to him, and look at what happened. This time, I'm saying no. I'm not letting flames rule this world as well."

Sonic suddenly gripped Snively's throat. Snively gagged, unable to make a word.

"I'm afraid you have no choice," said Sonic, his voice becoming shaky. "Don't you get it? If they find out what happened, they'll be after you too." Sonic loosened his grip slightly.

Snively gasped and coughed. "Then I'll go to them and tell them myself," Snively said between his teeth.

Again, Sonic tightened his grip. "I won't let you do that, baldy. We either A) work together to destroy Metal and you get paid because I'm nice or B) I use my spin dash on you and we see how it works on a human without Eggman's abilities."

Snively's eyes widened. "You wouldn't!" he coughed.

"You know that's a dumb thing to say," said Sonic as he grinned almost madly. "So, do we have a deal?"

Snively nodded. He knew when he had no choice. Sonic set Snively down, taking care to hurt him no further. "I'm sorry… I don't want to do this."

"Then don't" said Snively. He was ignored.

Sonic threw a bag at Snively. "I found this suit when I was exploring a temple, but it doesn't work. Make it work."

"Great beans in a basket!" cried Snively as he pulled out an oddly shaped blade. "This is a weapon suit from the fourth great civilization! Great Grandpa would have killed for this…"

Sonic suddenly picked up Snively, who gave out a yelp. "Reminisce later. Where's your house?"

"Central City."

"Do you have a lab?"

"No."

"Then I'll take you to Tails's," And Sonic ran.

And Snively suddenly wished he had let A.D.A.M. get him. At least A.D.A.M. would have made his death quick. But now he would suffer. He could only hope, now. Hope that the flames of the Sun wouldn't end this world as well. And just plain ask for Hope.

-Author's note-

Despite being almost 8000 words, this chapter feels short. Probably because it's three mini-stories, but still.

A welcome change of pace, but completely off topic, and at the same time, still on topic. I'm using some liberties from the comics, if you fans can tell.

Not sure what to say, but I like these interludes I came up with. This'll be the pattern from here on out; a goal is established, followed by action, followed by maybe more action, followed by a NiGHTS chapter, followed by a multi-chapter. There's some exceptions to this, but this is it in a nutshell.

What the heck is going on with Sonic! And why do I keep adding characters when I already am having a hard time using them all! Holy cruuuuuuuuuuuuuud!

Sincerely,

The Conflicted Writer


	38. New Objective

Half the time men think they are talking business, they are wasting time.  
><em>-E. W. Howe<em>

**The New Objective**

"Do you feel it?" asked Shadow, his face stern yet his words not harsh.

Tails starred hard at the little stone before him. He _knew_ the power was there. He _knew_ it was more than a simple stone. But he could not _feel_ it.

Tails sighed. "No."

Shadow and Metal groaned as they lowered their heads.

"Nothing?" asked Metal.

"Nothing," responded Tails.

Tails picked up the green Chaos Emerald, examining it while running his fingers over its clear cut edges. "I just can't seem to get at it."

"I don't think this is something you can teach someone," claimed Shadow as he turned his head to Metal. "It can only be learned."

"Perhaps you are right," sighed Metal. "I was just hoping it would work."

"Come on, guys," Tails somewhat begged. "I know I can do it. How did you find your powers?"

Shadow looked up, uncrossing his legs. "I was feeling multiple different emotions when I discovered them."

"They do say out greatest skills are realized when we are under emotional stress," Metal agreed.

Tails nodded. "Well, what were you feeling?"

"Joy," said Shadow.

"Stress," said Metal at the same time Shadow said 'joy'. Metal and Shadow glanced at the other. Tails scratched the back of his head.

"Enjoyment," said Shadow at the same time Metal said, "Despair."

"Anger," said Metal the same time Shadow said "Happiness."

Tails set the Emerald back down. "Never mind that idea, then," Tails sighed while looking glum.

Shadow closed one eye and scowled. "Are you making fun of me?"

Metal held up his hands in defense. "No, no! It just how I was feeling when I got my first ability."

"What about your second?" asked Tails as his eyes lit up slightly.

"Desperation," said Shadow.

"Courage," claimed Metal..

"Rage" stated Shadow.

"Determination" replied Metal.

"I see…" said Tails as he placed his gaze back on the Emerald. "And after that?"

"I just figured out the rest myself" said Shadow, a spark forming in his hand.

"I as well," said Metal as his hand glowed. "As soon as I had a firm grasp on the feelings and emotions I felt when performing a move, I could manipulate it almost any way I wanted."

"Then maybe Chaos Powers are triggered- and controlled- by emotions. Shadow, do you always have to feel a certain way when focusing energy in a certain way?"

"Rage…" Shadow looked off to the side in thought. "I'm always angry when I perform Chaos Blast."

"Perfect calm, or lack of emotion is what happens when I use that one ability you saw me use against Sonic."

"Then maybe I need an emotion for a certain power. I always either feel either relaxed or determined when I fly."

Metal nodded. "Yes, I remember now. You told me once that you can't fly and cry at the same time."

"But how do we make him feel certain ways?" asked Shadow. "You forced energy into him last time, and that's hardly an effective way to grasp as emotion. Plus, I don't think anyone here has the guts to make him cry."

Metal faked a sigh. "Perhaps it will not be hard with the current elements we possess right now…"

Tails frowned, his eyes becoming sad. "You mean Sarsar…"

Metal nodded.

"Speaking of the wolf-dog," said Shadow, his tone that of trying to change the subject, "have you guys figured out what he is yet?"

"I might of," sighed Tails glumly as his body limped. "I think Sonic summoned energy from the Earth's dark spirit, Dark Gaia, in order to turn himself into that creature. He did it before, but it was forced. This time, he must have summoned it so he could defeat Metal."

Metal looked out the window to see that it was starting to rain. "It took on a shape of its own, the Darkness. But we don't know why it's so nice to us. Well, most of us, anyway."

Shadow raised a brow in confusion. "How could Sonic _do_ that? The only move I've ever seen him do that uses Chaos is Chaos Control. He must be hiding more power than he lets on."

Metal quickly looked away from the window. "Yes, he must…"

"Hold on," said Shadow as he looked out the window himself. He paused then stood up. "I have an idea." Walking out the training room doors, Shadow left Metal and Tails to themselves. Metal looked over at the guitar in the corner he almost regretted getting.

"So…" asked Tails, "How's that song coming?"

Metal fell back and placed a hand over his eyes. "Fine… just fine. The transition to the third 'verse' is a little off, but I've almost got it. It should be ready in time for his birthday."

Tails blinked, not really moving. "Do you think we should tell them?"

"Not really," said Metal nonchalantly. "If they knew what Sonic was capable of, we'd never be able to get him back and living in his shoes. If Sonic isn't Sonic, I'll have to be, and I don't want to be Sonic."

Before Tails could continue their discussion, Knuckles and Storm barged in, both of them growling. "I'm telling you, you oversized owl, I can leave a bigger bruise, even if my fists are smaller."

"No way, anteater," growled Storm as he pointed at one large, orange gloved fist of his. "Even if you can hit harder, it will only be in that one spot. Besides," Storm flexed a few times, "I'm way tougher than you. You'd be lucky if you knocked off a few feathers."

"Did you just call be an anteater!" yelled Knuckles. "I swear, you Chaos damned mother f-"

"Excuse me!" Metal suddenly cried as he leaped up. Knuckles paused and turned to face Metal. "Have you ever heard of knocking before entering?"

Knuckles coughed loudly.

Storm laughed and pushed Knuckles down with a single slap to the back. "Knuckles thinks he can leave a bigger bruise than me. But his tiny fist can't do anything."

Knuckles pushed himself up and spoke, his irritation not well hidden. "Sorry to disturb you. What were you guys doing in here?"

Tails sighed glumly. "We're trying to tap into my Chaos abilities, but we've gotten zip since we started."

"Then can we use this room?" Storm said excitedly. "We need to fight where all the wimps won't get hurt."

"So, you guys think you're the strongest on the ship, huh?" asked Metal, his tone that of sarcasm.

"No, _I know_ that I'm the strongest here," claimed Knuckles as he flexed.

"Oh yeah?" growled Storm.

"I know the answer to my own question," said Metal. From him came a strange whistle like sound, and Knuckles and Storm froze. A large rhythmic thumping could be heard, and the rain outside began to pour harder.

Sarsar, the great lumbering hedgewolf, ran in his feral way towards Metal, his large hands his tongue flapping as he went. Knuckled and Storm quickly stepped out of the way and Metal put his hand up. Sarsar screeched to a halt and sat as a pet to his owner and let his tongue hand out in an almost cute fashion.

"Who's a good freak of nature?" cooed Metal as he rubbed Sarsar's cheek. Sarsar stopped being cute and did not look amused. "Fine, good Sarsar. No sense of humor." Sarsar grinned stupidly. "Anyway, Knuckles and Storm think they're the strongest on this ship. What do you think, Sarsar?" Sarsar turned around and his lips curled in a snarl. Knuckles and Storm didn't even have enough time to put up their hands in defense as Sarsar unleashed his stretchy arms/fists and pounded the heavy weight duo into the thankfully padded walls, impaling them.

"Good Sarsar. See, I learn," said Metal as he tossed a piece of jerky that he pulled from nowhere into the air. Sarsar caught the dried meat in his mouth and chewed thankfully.

Tails grinned slightly. "Come here, Sarsar." Sarsar did as was asked and moved to Tails, easily looming over him. However, he bent down to Tails level just to get scratched behind the ears. "That face once belonged to Sonic," whispered Tails. "I'm not really sure which one is nicer, though…"

Metal looked outside again, and it was pouring harder again. The weather had really been acting up the past two days as they flew to Central City. "Tails…" before he could continue, Sarsar turned his head and growled. Metal looked behind himself to see an agitated Blaze holding a semi-thick book. Metal turned back around while pulling out a water bottle and squirted Sarsar in the face, causing him to whimper. "Bad Sarsar, no growling at Blaze. Why don't you growl at Iblis? He's a cat."

Blaze cleared her throat. "Excuse me, Metal, but I would like to register some formal complaints about some of the other passengers." Blaze seemed oblivious to Knuckles and Storm stuck in the wall behind her.

Metal looked at the book Blaze held. "And I don't suppose that book is a list of complaints?" Metal asked, sounding almost terrified. "Why are you coming to me? I'm not the captain."

"But you, Tails, Mephiles, and Shadow are the unofficial leaders. I can't find Shadow, Mephiles is with Iblis and I still have a hard time facing him, and you- and Tails- are here. But this book is my first complaint." Blaze tossed the book to Metal who caught it and read the title out loud.

"_The Alphabet of Manliness_, by Maddox. What is this?"

"That's mine!" yelled Knuckles. Blaze suddenly turned around to see Knuckles struggling to get himself out of the leather wall that held him. "You can't just look through my stuff without asking!"

Blaze grinned and chuckled at Knuckles predicament. It was a silent laugh though, as she was still not accustomed to letting her feelings run wild. "Well, well, look at what the cat hung up to dry."

"It was Sarsar, for your information," claimed Knuckles stubbornly. "There is no shame is losing to that monster thing."

Sarsar growled and barred his teeth. Storm rolled his eyes. "You're going to get in worse trouble" Storm stated.

"Sit, Sarsar," said Metal with his eye lights on the book. Sarsar reluctantly did as he was told. He sent a death glare at Knuckles, who stuck his tongue out.

"Knuckles, what the hell is this?" said Metal in a disgusted manner. "'D is for taking a dump'… why is there a picture of a turtle head? Oh, wait…"

Tails suddenly burst out laughing and clutched at his sides. The rain outside lost some of its luster.

Blaze nodded at Metal. "He's been leaving that thing laying around, open to some other… less than pleasing pictures."

Metal flipped through some pages. "'O is for obedience'… why is there a guy throwing a Frisbee and a female catching said Frisbee in her mouth?"

Knuckles cheeks became red. "I'm warning you, Metal! Just stop right there! I will hurt you! I'm like the echidna version of Chuck Norris: I eat rocks and crap lightning!"

Metal flipped a few pages back. "'N is for Norris, Chuck'. Yep, that's the very first sentence of this chapter."

"I would like to demand that Knuckles find a new form of entertainment, perhaps an _actual _book."

"That's not exactly fair, Blaze. It's just a book. From the obviously sarcastic way this guy writes, I can only assume that this Maddox is joking around."

"He is?" asked Knuckles as his eyes crossed somewhat.

Storm rolled his eyes again. "Gee, Knuckles, even _I'm_ not that stupid."

Tails laughed again and Metal shook his head. "Fine, torch the book. Just make sure the ashes end up in the trash, please."

Blaze nodded and grabbed the book as Metal threw it back to her. "I would also like to ask-"

"Noooooooo!" screamed Knuckles as he doubled his efforts to un-impale himself.

"I would like to ask that you brush Sarsar and give him a bath. His fur is getting all over the place."

Metal turned to Sarsar, who was still sitting obediently. "Sarsar, do you know how to clean yourself?"

Sarsar nodded and sort of grunted a 'yes'.

"Are you actually going to do that?"

The burly Hedgewolf shook his head and this time grunted a 'no'.

"Note to self: Sarsar hates water as well. I will schedule a heavy duty bath later."

"And a nail clipping," stated Blaze. "His claws have ruined the fridge handle."

Tails looked at Sarsar's claws, and scratched the back of his head. "Do we even have clippers that can cut those?"

"Are you guys gonna leave us here much longer?" asked Storm suddenly.

"I think 'hedge' clippers will do the trick" stated Metal as he raised his hands up in a comical fashion. "Huh? 'Hedge'…?" Everyone was silent. Metal fanned himself with his hand. "Gee, tough crowd."

Knuckles took this opportunity to give his opinion. "The only thing funny about that was how sad of an attempt it was." Now, everyone laughed. Except Metal. He slumped forward some.

"I should probably stop trying," Metal grunted. Metal looked out the window. The rain had stopped, he noticed, but it was still cloudy out.

"Anyway," said Blaze apologetically, "I would also like to know if Professor Pickle is going to be a permanent member of the group."

"Why do you ask?" Tails looked saddened. "I kind of wanted him to stick around with us."

Blaze shook her head. "I'm sorry, but that guy's breath always smells like cucumbers, and he's a little scatter brained. His assistant is okay, but Pickle's just a little too annoying for me."

Metal nodded. "I'm not sure, Blaze, but I'm think we're just dropping him off at his current lab in Central City. I think we're stretching his health already while taking him in his current condition. Especially after _someone_," Metal looked at Sarsar, "tackled him with a bear hug and ruined his already wet bandages."

Sarsar grinned sheepishly, and then hid his head under his mighty hands. Blaze rolled her eyes.

It was at this time that Shadow leaped into the room and held up a bowl dramatically. "Behold the ultimate dairy treat: chocolate ice cream with sprinkles and strawberries!"

Everyone froze. Even Knuckles had stopped trying to pull himself free. Shadow had talked of the bowl of ice cream in the same manner he would talk of himself when referring to himself as the 'Ultimate Life Form'. It was not sarcastic in any way what so ever, or at least Shadow didn't sound that way.

And Tails laughed. He laughed harder than he had in a long while. Soon enough, Metal, Blaze, and Sarsar joined him and were unable to stop. Shadow stood still as he held up the 'ultimate dairy treat', but he let a smile come to him. Knuckles and Storm, who were still impaled in the wall and in no mood for shenanigans, simply looked somewhere between surprised and disturbed.

Shadow looked out the window and noticed that the rain had stopped. In fact, the clouds that had made the rain were gone as well. This very much supported his theory.

"_Attention passengers,_" came Jet's voice from the intercom system, "_We are now approaching Central City. Please place all your carry on items in a bag, and for those with weak stomachs, it is suggested that- hey!_"

There was now the sound muffled hawk as Omega proceeded to relay the message. "_We are now entering Central City. Be ready to depart._"

"Y_ou can't just interrupt the captain like that!_"

"_You were wasting time. Land the vehicle so that we may leave quickly._"

"_Did you ever think you have an obsession with killing Eggman?_"

"_No. I know I have an obsession with killing Eggman._" The sound of clicking could be heard.

"… _We'll be landing soon_" Jet said hastily, and the intercom turned off.

"Come on," said Tails as he started to walk out of the room, grabbing the bowl from Shadow. "Let's get going before Omega 'fires all weapon systems.'" Tails started to leave, but paused and turned around. "Sarsar, get them out."

Sarsar grumbled something inaudible and peeled Knuckles and Storm out of the walls, which now had imprints of two he had plaster, and dragged them after himself. Knuckles did not look amused even more so than before. Revenge was the word Knuckles sent Metal with his glare. Storm was basically doing the same thing.

Blaze chuckled again. "It does my heart good to see a couple of idiots get their comeuppance." Blaze walked out as well.

Metal looked at Shadow and Shadow returned the gesture. "Clever," said Metal.

"It was, wasn't it?" Shadow replied. "But it almost seems cliché."

Metal looked outside again at the approaching buildings and the shining sunlight. "Indeed, it does. But, if it had to be a cliché, at least it's not a thief involved technique."

"When should we tell him?"

"Let's do a bit more testing. I'm not completely convinced that his abilities are weather based."

"Do you think he might actually be one of those 'kitsune' that is lost on Earth or something?"

"Not likely. It would be too convenient a plot twist for the sequel."

"…"

"I don't think it's a coincidence that it has been raining like that after I forced Chaos energy into Tails and he saw Sonic acting the way he did. But, like I said, more testing."

"Excuse me," came Mephiles's voice as he stuck his head in. "I thought I felt misery in this room that wasn't Tails. Am I too late?"

Metal chuckled and nodded. "Sorry, Meph, Sarsar just peeled the misery off the walls and carried it to the exit."

"Nuts." Mephiles walked into the room with, of course, Iblis not too far behind. Iblis looked at the imprints and his muzzle shifted as if he were grinning.

"I also thought I heard something about controlling the weather," Mephiles noted. "Has Tails discovered his abilities yet?"

"We have," noted Shadow. "But he hasn't."

"Theories are very different from knowing, Shadow."

"You'd better get to knowing soon. You never know when a prophecy will come to fruition."

Metal made a sound like sucking air through teeth.

"Prophecy?" asked Shadow while sounding somewhat nervous. Prophecies _always_ led to trouble.

Mephiles quirked a brow at Metal. "You didn't tell them- or him- yet?"

Metal's head sagged. "I was kind of hoping we could actually wait until he needs to do what it is he's supposed to do."

"What are you guys talking about?" Shadow slightly demanded as he pointed a finger at Mephiles. "Is Tails some kind of savior?"

Mephiles cleared his non-existent throat, then spoke (with added echo effects) in an ominous tone. "**The one of six movements and of sound knowledge yet unsure wisdom shall be the one who shall bring forth an era of harmony. He shall be of righteous deeds, and of the utmost innocence. All who meet him shall smile in his purity, and strong men will bow before his kindness. He must be trained in the art of destruction, and in the ways of creation. He will always be needed.**

"Of course, that's just the shortened version, but you get the gist of it," Mephiles said simply.

"Is the real version just as vague?" asked Shadow.

Metal nodded and sighed. "'Harmony' is the word the real version intensified. Apparently, Tails is supposed to be the one who will bring it to this unworthy planet."

"Don't talk like that," said Shadow. "If the people who actually deserve harmony get it, then I think the unworthy people getting it too is worth it."

"However," started Mephiles, "this prophecy is anything but specific. I could not interpret any specific time or date when Tails is meant to 'bring about harmony.'"

Shadow looked skeptic. "And where exactly did you get this prophecy?"

"Three monoliths, two prophets, and four religions dedicated to the whole thing. Being a son of Solaris helps with authentication." Mephiles suddenly turned his head and ran. "No, Iblis, put those dumbbells down!" Iblis dropped the heavyweights-the really heavy weights-and a very large clang, and a very large crack in to padded floors was made. "I meant on the rack…"

Iblis starred at Mephiles.

"I shouldn't have had to say it, Iblis, it should have been obvious."

Iblis turned away.

"Yes, I know that, but that's only because we don't have money in the first place."

"Man, listening to those guys talk is like listening to a person on the phone," Metal observed out loud. "You can only guess what the other person said to him."

Shadow raised a brow and crossed him arms like he usually did when he knew something that should have been obvious to everyone else. "Were you planning on telling Tails anytime soon?"

The ship gave a slight lurch, signaling that the Great Babylon had landed. "Oh would you look at that, we've landed. Better go make sure Sarsar doesn't try to run out and scare people."

Metal moved to leave, but Shadow grabbed his shoulder and held him back. "Don't try to weasel your way out of this."

"Do I at least get points for not trying to tell you some bull?"

"No."

"Eerrgg…" Metal looked out the window again as Shadow removed his hand. "I just can't stand to put that much weight on his already sagging shoulders. He already had to carry the weight of his life, then of Eggman's (and that's a heavy weight to be sure), and of a whole city. And now his only family member is completely out of his mind. To make it worse, he has _living_ proof that Sonic is not being the good guy, and he has to be tortured by it even though all that proof wants is a scratch behind the ears and a piece of jerky. I can't force this destiny on him, not when we don't even know all the details. It would only make him worry. Please, Shadow, don't tell him about this, not until I understand more."

Shadow nodded and his features softened, which was odd because his features were already pretty soft. "You really care about the kid, uh? You're like his new family now."

"Shadow…" said Metal sounding exasperated, "I would also appreciate it if you would not call me his 'new' family, at least like that. I am not his replacement Sonic. I'm not anybody's replacement Sonic. At least, I don't want to be. If I am Tails' family at all, then I would be his… be his…"

"Father?" suggested Mephiles as he and Iblis walked back over to them.

Metal kicked the ground sheepishly with his metallic foot. "Well, I wouldn't use that strong of a title."

Shadow walked by Metal as he went for the door. "Don't sell yourself at too cheap a price. I believe, with the way you treat and respect him, Father is a pretty good title. At least you deserve that name a little more than Mr. Cucumber."

"You mean Professor Pickle?"

"Riiiiiggghhhtt, sure I do. Now, I think you really should keep Sarsar inside so he doesn't scare anyone."

"Come on, Iblis, let's see what a real city looks like." Mephiles and Iblis walked out as well.

Metal looked outside the window one last time. "A father," he said to himself. "And Tails is my son…" Metal thought that arrangement of words was quite strange, but he had to say it out loud. He rather liked it. Maybe someday he'd have the guts to say that while someone was listening. For now, he would wait for the opportune moment.

Metal made sure his sword was secure in its scabbard as he walked down the hallways. Metal wondered what Tails would say if he introduced this idea to him. Would he appear too strong? Now that he thought about it, he never even told Tails that he… loved him. Unfortunately, that word's meaning had been truly distorted in this society. Love now had a meaning of intense passion when all Metal felt was… respect. No, that's not the word… care? That seemed too weak. The only real word for it was love, not as an strong passion, but as a bond between two people.

Metal stepped out of the Great Babylon and looked around. It sure was convenient that G.U.N. happened to have an air strip to land on right on the outskirts. That made getting Pickle to his new lab (who knows why he moved it again, there wasn't even a university for about seventy miles) easy.

Currently Tails, Sarsar, Vector, Blaze, Silver, Adam, and Professor Pickle, still in a wheel chair, were all outside. Everyone else had stayed in the ship and hoped this would be fast. They wanted to get to Grand Metroples as fast as possible. They needed to get the Emerald Eggman would obviously have.

"Ah," began Metal as he took the surprisingly quaint looking city in. "What a nice looking set of stone and progression."

"So, this is a normal city of this time period," stated Silver as his golden eyes wondered around. "The history books of the future made- will make?- them look like they were nothing but dirty, disgusting places filled with corruption and crime."

"It's an unfortunate truth about this world that no one remembers the good things anymore," said Professor Pickle. "They only want sympathy for the bad."

"Uhh, boss," whispered Vector as he leaned next to Metal's hearing sensors, "Did you happen to notice that this guy sounds almost exactly like Mephiles?" Metal turned to look at the good Professor who was being pushed by Adam.

"It does seem bleak, sir," Adam noted to his teacher. "But at least, here and now, we can experience all life has to offer."

Metal made a gagging sound. "Dear lord, that was almost as bad as one of Sonic's."

Vector, Tails, and for some reason Sarsar, decided to laugh at this. Blaze and Silver looked confused, while Adam and Professor Pickle looked offended.

"What's so funny?" asked Blaze earnestly.

Silver eyes suddenly lit up and he grinned. "Oh, wait! I know what you're talking about." Silver cleared his throat and heroically pointed in a random direction. "'Letz show hem da real supah powah of teamwurk!'"

Before, Metal, Vector, Sarsar and Tails were laughing. Now the ones that needed air could not get access to it because of their joyful banter, while Metal could not resist using a 'XD' emote with his eye lenses.

Metal, being the super computer that he was, was expecting a response from Pickle and Adam, and was expecting a remark from the probably still clueless Blaze, thus he had a comeback prepared. However, there were no more words used in this conversation. There was a different sound.

The cocking of guns.

Metal stopped, and as fast as the eye, whipped out his sword and faced his opponents. G.U.N. officers, about twenty of them, were lined up, each with a pistol, save for one who had a tranquilizer gun.

Everyone stopped. Adam and Pickle were frozen with fear. Blaze held still, except for her swaying tail. The others were still on the ground.

"Why are you here?" Metal asked sternly.

A single officer stepped forward, keeping his gun pointed at the group. "Metal Sonic," Metal growled at that, "By order of the G.U.N. commander, you are to be taken in for questioning. Surrender or we will use force."

Metal shook his head. He simply could not believe how dumb some people were. "You guys really think that a few measly guns are enough to stop us? I mean, really? Us? If you had asked nicely, I would have come along and talked, but if you think you have to resort to such crude methods, then I'll oblige. Sarsar," Sarsar grunted in a questioning manner. "… sick 'em"

Sarsar barked. He also lunged. He also took about twenty bullets to the arm. But he was simply too strong.

All the G.U.N. soldiers were knocked out in about five seconds, with at least three of them having broken legs, five having a busted ribcage, and all of them with bleeding noses.

"Good Sarsar," Metal called as he tossed a piece of jerky into the air. Sarsar grabbed the meat and chewed as Metal walked over to the pile of soldiers. He lifted one of their heads. "Alright, pal, how can I help you?" Metal hissed.

The soldier spit out a tooth before speaking. "I already told you. The Commander wants to arrest you. I have no idea why, we just follow orders."

"Never should have told those reporters…" Metal whispered to himself. "Alright, fine guys, let's get go-" Metal was interrupted as he heard screams. Metal turned, as did everyone else, to see a G.U.N. soldier holding a gun to Tails head as he carried him away into an armored vehicle.

"Now, are you coming quietly," asked the soldier that Metal was talking to before, "or do we have to make an accident happen?"

Sarsar growled, but Metal held up a hand. "I'm coming, Tails!" Metal cried out after him. He assessed the situation. Chasing the car in any way, shape, or form would be foolhardy, as that would put Tails life in even the slightest danger.

"Oh dear…" said Pickle before he entered a coughing fit, "Those brutes have kidnapped Tails… I've heard that they don't serve very good meals in their detention center."

If Metal had blood pressure, it would have risen quite a bit right now. Tails was in trouble, and all he could think about is food!

Metal was about to do something rash, like give the professor another cut, but Vector and Sarsar held him back.

"Pickle?" asked Blaze, "I think it would be best if you leave us now."

Pickle sighed. "Adam, she is right. Take me to my new lab."

"Yes sir."

"Wait." Pickle pulled out a large envelope and held it out to Blaze, who took it. "When he calms down, please give it to him."

Blaze looked at Metal, who was flailing about in the two giants arms of his companions. "That may take a while…"

Silver looked at the tallest building in the city. "I'm guessing it's that one."

Shadow, meanwhile, was standing at the door. He had heard the familiar sound of guns and had come out only just too late to save Tails. (He would have skated, but then the fancy rugs would have caught on fire.)

Stupid G.U.N. It was like he always said: "Guns don't kill people; the government does."

-break-

He was a hardened warrior. A little too hard, some might say. However, three years stuck in a space can, seeing the devil incarnate, and watching your only family die in front of your eyes might do that to anyone.

Never had he said sorry. Never had he admitted to being wrong. He still, to this day, believed a certain hedgehog to be evil beyond all reason. In fact, he hated them all.

Animals.

They thought they were so… superior. Evolution… damn that Darwin. Damn them all. He had watched animals defeat that fool Dr. Eggman as if it were a game. The military had issues with him, and they were failing at them.

And they just kept getting freakier. Now there were these 'Knights of Chaos' that had just garnished popularity. Bah. At least when Sonic made a show all the attention was on him. But these 'Knights' were grabbing all the media's attention. And- in the name of everything sweet and fluffy- Shadow was made out to be a hero as well. That was torture.

And then there was 'Chaos.' It was something that had been under study for the past seventy-five years. But never, not once, had any human tapped into a Chaos Emerald's power through anything more than a machine. This aggravated him. But it was his entire idiotic subordinates' fault. None of them believed in the Chaos as anything more than a name for a screwy energy. Idiots. He had held an emerald once. Only once. He felt it. The true power. He could still feel now. It was the power that had many different names. Aura, Chi, Spiritual Flow, Chakra. It was an eternal and infinite power. But he could not tap into it. If he could get his large hand on another emerald, he could show those freaks what power was.

But he could smile. He had captured one of them. The weakest, it would seem. The meeting had been set. Their leader and a few of them were coming to get the little freak back. He'd see about that…

The automatic door to his office (a giant room with a very large T.V. monitor screen) opened, and he smiled. "Ah, welcome," he said warmly. He was a very good actor. "I hope you weren't treated shamefully by our staff on the way up here."

Metal had come with Sarsar, Vector, and Shadow. It was the only help Metal was allowed. It was the only help he needed. Sarsar, because of his strength and loyalty. Vector for his ability to read people faces, even if they are masters of hiding their intentions. And Shadow for a… special plan.

"No," said Metal distastefully as he out of habit reached for his sword. Unfortunately, that was a safeguard he was not allowed to bring to this 'peaceful' discussion. At least they didn't know about his other weapons.

"Please, sit down," said the commander as he gestured to a few chairs. Metal, Shadow and Vector sat in the chairs while Sarsar laid himself on the ground.

"Wait a second…" said Shadow as he slit his eyes at the commander, "I remember you now… you were that kid with heterochromatin back on the ARK…"

"How nice of you to remember," the commander said through his teeth.

"You were the one who always stole my pudding cup on Thursdays."

Everyone, including Sarsar and the commander, turned to Shadow with an odd look. Except for Metal, who instead settled for, 'O.O'

"…What?"

"Ahem. Anyway," started the commander. "You're probably wondering why I summoned you here."

"Nope," Metal said sarcastically polite. "I'm wondering why you kidnapped our friend and how it is you still have the support of the people. I'm not wondering why you summoned us here. That is very far from my mind at the moment."

"Boss," said Vector as he nudged Metal, "I know you're mad right now, but he's got an ace."

"I'd listen to your friend there," the Commander said.

Shadow scowled. "I can't believe Rouge convinced me to join G.U.N. for a little while back then. You've always been a brat."

"And I can't believe I let you join."

"Hold it!" yelled Vector as he held up his hands. "We're going to be here all day if we keep throwing insults at each other. Lemme speed things up here: we don't like ya and ya don't like us. Can we talk about letting Tails go?"

"Tails?" the commander grinned.

Metal growled and made a fist. "The little kid you kidnapped that could put each mechanical guy in the entire military to shame."

"Ah, right. The little mutation: even more of a freak than the rest of you." The commander redirected his gaze at Shadow. "Well, most of you."

"Freak…?" asked Metal. "You think we're freaks?"

"No. I think they're freaks. You are even less than that. You, as a robot, aren't even considered a real citizen. That's what we're here to talk about."

Metal paused. He realized that the commander had a point. Metal had nothing that would classify him as a person in the sense of legal documents.

"All right," began Metal more calmly than before. "Start talking."

"You understand your predicament, then? Good, you're not as stupid as the fool who made you." For some reason, this statement made Metal even madder. "As you understand, you don't have any past, in a sense, no social security number, no I.D., and no passport. Technically, you don't exist. I understand that you wish to go to Eggman's county in order to get a hold of a Chaos Emerald. Let's face it, that's all you crazy people are after."

Shadow and Vector scowled.

"But, I can't let an unauthorized citizen, especially one with such a chaotic record, go wherever he pleases. In other words, as a machine, you are property. And property can be owned. And now I own you."

"And how do you figure that?" Metal seethed.

"I have the mutation under lock and key. If you want him back, you'll have to work for G.U.N."

"No," answered Metal curtly. Vector gasped.

"But are we gonna just leave the kid here!"

"No. We'll storm this place and take out everyone, if we have to. The last thing I'm going to do is be someone's property."

The Commander smiled devilishly. "I wouldn't do that. I've got a button right here that will let a soldier know to shoot that little freak right in his big head if I so choose. The second you walk out, he's just another 'failed experiment' for the public to hate."

Metal glanced at Shadow. Metal gave a nod. "I hate him."

"I hate him as well. I do believe he is the only person in the world who deserves my hate."

The Commander snickered. "So, I see you're not leaving."

"You disgust me," claimed Shadow as he turned his head away. "You're almost as bad as Black Doom."

The Commander's face turned red and he shook violently. "How dare you compare me to that floating piece of shit? I am a human! I am nothing like that monster!"

"Really? It's funny how people like you always use being human as an excuse for not being a monster. Monster, as a definition, is something deformed or huge. I suppose that would fit Black Doom quite well. You're soul is just like that, though. Deformed and vile with no compassion for anyone."

The Commander took a sharp breath. He would not be talked to by this… thing. "I suggest you silence," the commander whispered. "I'm not one to be trifled with."

"But how could you deny it? You hate Animals with a passion. You always have. I remember that quite well about you. But you never liked humans, your own 'kind,' either. You wasted valuable time and resources in order to beat me, sending many humans in my unstable path, knowing they would only slow me and the Black Arms down. And then, let's not forget, you wasted that prototype, Diablon, which I'm sure was about four billion tax payers dollars down the garbage chute. All for what? A grudge with me that you didn't even have proof to back up with."

The Commander grinned. "And what are you going to do about it? It's done, isn't it?"

"But you still hate me. You've made that quite evident. The second I make even the slightest mistake, you'll jump at it so you can get me."

"And If I do? I'm the Commander. I may as well be a king. Everyone will do as I say no matter what. If I could do it all over again, knowing what I know now, I would still waste all that time and money killing you, and anyone associated with you. I don't really care. All these soldiers are just pawns. They might as well be robots, because _I_ own them."

"You slimeball!" shouted Vector as Sarsar growled. "I used to think the world's situation was bad; now I can see it's in hell! You're worse than Eggman!"

"And yet, the people of the world still love me."

Shadow grinned. "And with that, we win."

"What are you talking about?" the Commander fumed. "You haven't won anything! I might just kill the kid because I very well feel like it now!"

Shadow turned to Metal. "Would you like to tell him?"

Metal's voice seemed to smile. "It would be my pleasure. You see, Commander, you called me a machine, a piece of equipment. A good machine usually has access to a lot of different features. A video camera, internet access, and video editing are just a few."

The Commander looked confused for a second, but he suddenly realized what he had said. Sarsar chuckled.

Metal mocked clearing a throat. "I believe you said," and then a recoding played, "_If I could do it all over again, knowing what I know now, I would still waste all that time and money killing you, and anyone associated with you. I don't really care._"

Suddenly the commander pulled out a pistol and aimed it at Metal. Realizing this was stupid, he aimed it at Sarsar. Realizing that was just as stupid, he aimed it at Shadow. Realizing that was even stupider, he aimed it at Vector. Vector yawned.

"Delete that video right now or I'll shoot!"

"Nope."

The commander freaked out and shot a bullet. It bounced harmlessly off Vector's scales. "I felt something. I think it was a mosquito."

Metal grabbed the Commander's collar and pulled him down to face him. "Now, here's how it's going to work. You let Tails go, and my video won't be seen on the internet by all your loyal subjects, O king."

The Commander growled. "Let's negotiate a little better. It's going to take a little more than that for me to let the freak go. Since I made an error, I guess I can't make you my property. But I can still turn the entire government against you. There's no denying that." Metal let the commander's collar go.

"Then we have reached an impasse," stated Metal.

The Commander took a deep breath "How about this… We could use your _help_ with some problems that are threatening the innocent."

Metal growled. He found a sweet spot of his.

"There is a cult that has been taking people. Not just as members, but as prisoners. We originally didn't care," Sarsar growled, "but it has become a threat to security. People are in a panic. If you _wouldn't_ _mind_, we could use you as covert agents and take them out from the inside. Or just blow them up. Apparently, _you_ sideshow freaks can do that, but the government can't." The commander pulled out a file labeled _Brotherhood of Metallix_. "This is all we have on them. It's not much, but I'm sure you 'heroes' can take care of that little issue."

Vector took the file and gasped. "No way… these guys…"

"What about Tails?" asked Metal. Sarsar nodded and stood up. Apparently, he wanted his fuzzy buddy.

"We'll keep him here until you-" suddenly the Commander's phone beeped. "What is it?"

"Sir," came a young male voice from the other side. "T-The fox has escaped."

"What!"

Shadow and Vector grinned. Sarsar looked relieved.

"H-He was let out with the help of a soldier, sir. The soldier left a letter of resignation, saying what we've been doing is… wrong."

"You sound like you might think that too…" the Commander whispered softly but cruelly.

"I-I'm sorry sir, but after talking to the kid- to Tails- I just can't live with it anymore. He's opened my eyes. Maybe we should stop using our resources the way we do."

"You're fired, Ned."

"I thought so, sir. You won't be hearing from me again." The other end shut off.

Metal laughed. "Well, what do you know? This whole meeting was a waste of time."

"Not really," the Commander said with his face stern. "I know how you heroes operate. You're still going to take down that cult, now that you know about them. The guilt will eat at you unless you do."

Metal looked off to the side. He had definitely found his sweet spot.

"Know this 'Metal Overdrive', Shadow; This isn't the last you've heard from me. Our paths will cross again. And next time, I'll have _all_ the aces. If I see that video on the internet, I will turn the world against you."

"But for now, I have them. Here's the new deal," said Metal as he poked the commander in the chest. "After I take care of this issue, you _will_ make me an official citizen. _And_ you'll make an official apology to Shadow and let the world know you were wrong about him. Do this, and I'll delete the video so I can't use it against you anymore."

The Commander's face turned red again. "Fine…"

"Excellent. Come my friends; let us be on our way."

"Stop talking like that."

"Come on, Shadow, it's fun."

"You will never hear me talk like some old knight fart. _Never._" They started to walk out of the room. Vector walked slower than the others as he read through the file. Sarsar was making his way out, but stopped, turned, ran up to the Commander and gave him a very large, very slobbery lick.

"Ugg! You stupid… whatever you are!" Sarsar seemed to chuckle and he ran out.

"Ergg… there's more things that look like Sonic every day. Note to self: Make a new file on the beast that was seen around the broken planet. Apparently it wasn't Sonic the Hedgehog after all." The Commander pressed a button on his phone. "Send Mr. Ix in."

"Yes sir," came a voice that wasn't Ned.

A few minutes later, a hunchbacked man with a large black overcoat stepped slowly into the room. His long white beard reached to the ground, and he was careful not to step on it. His ears and forehead were hidden by the tall hat he wore but left enough space for his eyebrows to show how he wanted others to think he felt. His right hand had a large black glove and his left arm had simply a wrapped up stub where his hand should have been.

"Ah, Commander…" Mr. Ix spoke is a harsh whisper. "I take it the negotiations with the 'Knights of Chaos' did not go well."

"They went terrible!" the Commander shouted as he banged a fist onto his desk. "Your plan to kidnap the kid failed!"

"Did it, sir? Surely they will now take out the cult. If that robot is anything like Sonic, he will rush here before taking the glory. Once we give him what he wants, we will snatch the credit from under their noses and make G.U.N. look like the victor."

The Commander smirked. "Clever, Mr. Ix. But are you sure he will come back here first? And what about the Emeralds? How do you plan to get those from them?"

Mr. Ix chuckled. "This will take time, sir. They are powerful beings, after all. We must simply wait and catch them off guard. This will not be easy. I will take care of it personally."

"Very well, Mr. Ix, I expect a full report on this situation in a week. You are dismissed."

"Yes sir." With that, Mr. Ix stepped out of the door.

As Mr. Ix walked down the hall, he grinned to himself. "This world had changed so much since I last visited it. It's a lot more of a challenge to take over. How entertaining. I can't wait until the poker game with Eggman. I wish he hadn't rescheduled. Heh, heh, heh…"

-break-

"Tails!" Metal yelled.

"Metal!" Tails cried as the two quickly embraced each other.

Blaze smiled. "I always get a warm fuzzy feeling when they do that."

Silver nodded in agreement. "Should we give them the thing Pickle gave you?"

"Give them a moment," said Blaze. "They were both scared, I'm sure."

"Tails, you're alright!" Wave cried as she came up and joined Metal in squeezing Tails.

Metal was a little baffled by this. But, he would let it slide. He was just happy his… son was alright.

Knuckles rolled his eyes. Sonic and Tails were never this fuzzy. But then, this wasn't Sonic. "Yeah, yeah, Tails is safe. It only lasted about three hours, ya know."

Meanwhile, in the Great Babylon's kitchen, Vector and Shadow were spilling over the information inside the file. Shadow looked a picture. It was of a Black Labrador with a robotic arm and leg. "That's disturbing," said Shadow.

"It is," said Vector. "That almost happened to the Chaotix a while back. Except we didn't get to choose."

"I can't believe these kids are just tossing their body parts away like this. All in the name of a 'Greater Existence.' Do they even realize the intensity of what they're doing?"

Vector shook his head. "Their leader is crafty. He's a real smooth talker. He got one of our old members to turn against us for money. I'm not sure if Fang really meant it."

Shadow looked up from the paper he was reading. "Fang? I think I might have met him once."

"Purple weasel with an Australian accent and a six shooter?"

"That's him. Sure seemed rather smart to be a former Chaotix member."

"Hey!"

"What do you know about this cult personally?"

"They're crazy and they want to turn the whole world into robots. That's about it."

"Real helpful. Well, it looks like Central city is where they're hitting the most right now. If we send Metal, he could probably blend in well enough to tell us where their base of operations is."

"I just hope Grimer isn't in charge anymore. He was… grimy."

"Well, if that's our plan and we got nothing else, I'm off. I will not rest until I figure out where that Power Star that I'm supposed to 'shoot at the wall' to get is."

Vector sighed and shook his head. He would never understand Shadow.

-Author's Note-

Blarg. More filler. In that whole 'Harmony' thing is going to become ironic towards the end, considering how I've changed the ending from what I would have done two years ago.

More character building, yay! My only gripe with this chapter in that I did too much telling instead of showing with the Commander and maybe made him a little too aggressive to start with. We only ever see him three times, though, so I wasn't sure how to handle that. But it's a fanfiction, who cares? Though the story I'm working on now is my attempt to write for real, but is still fanfiction. Not sure when I'll find the time to write it, though.

For those wondering, Sarsar, the name I chose for the Hedgewolf, is the pronunciation of the Arabic word sarsarun, which means 'fast wind.' Considering that Metal's been reading Arabian Nights, I thought he would go with an Arabic name.

Sincerely,

As if you didn't know by now.


	39. A Knight and a Castle

There is no quality in this world that is not what it is merely by contrast. Nothing exists in itself.

~Herman Melville

**The Knight of the Wind, and the Castle of the Metallix**

He was wasting his time. That much was obvious.

Why was he here? Was it because he cared about the rest of them? No, just one of them. But it was hardly a reason. Revenge? Very just, but that wasn't it either.

Boredom. That was it. The ultimate reason he had paid an arm for power… literally.

He had sacrificed his right arm- and he was right handed, damn it all- just to get into this cult. Ah, but what a cult it was. The betterment of all living things through technology. Machines were the way of the future. Mechanical hearts, lungs, perhaps even brains someday. Such things could make a person nearly immortal.

But, again, this is not what he cared about.

He raised his mechanical arm and grinned. This thing was heavy as hell, but it was worth it. At least it was better than the cheap stuff most of them had. It was disturbing, in his opinion, that most of these people gave up their bits and pieces for such cheap pieces of junk simply because they don't have enough money for the good stuff. Most of them weren't even water proof.

Still, this did feel extreme. His new arm was custom, built how he wanted. It was nice and long, about a half bigger than his flesh arm, but still thick enough to hold some useful gadgets… a 45 magnum with shock resisters was defiantly a sweet deal. The armor that protected the innards was rough to handle, but worth it. He had even went a step further with an extra/emergency power backpack that was equipped with enough energy to power a family house hold for a two years. And the jetpack. That was awesome. All was colored an easy-on-the-eyes purple with some parts deeper or lighter shades just for the heck of it.

He sighed, coughed, and ran his flesh hand through his dark hair. He scanned his blue eyes around the car. He didn't really like the company. He was sharing a bus of sorts with a few other people, each with mechanical body parts. They were all teenagers, mostly animals, who looked as if they despised life. Their metal parts, though, were quite ineffective. You could actually see the gears and whatnot turning in some of them, but all that did was make it look cool. It was not functional in the slightest.

"Excuse me," someone asked from behind him, tapping him on the shoulder. He turned to face a cloaked person, holding up a wooden torch. "Is this spot taken?"

He looked around before asking his question. "Why do you care?"

"Boredom," the stranger said. "I simply wish for a companion to sit with, and from evaluating the value of your mechanical parts, you seem the most intelligent here."

He smiled. "Why not? It's a paid bus ride, after all. You can sit wherever."

The stranger lifted his head slightly, revealing the eyes he had hidden in his cloak. They were glowing a fierce red. "Thank you," the cloaked one said as he sat down. "Why do you have better parts than most other's here?

"Sorry, pal, that's one question I won't answer," he said while waving him off with his flesh hand. "It's my personal thing."

The cloaked one was silent.

"Hey, buddy, you dead?"

"Forgive me. I am a very calculating person. I am always evaluating situations and figuring out the best course of action." The cloaked one stared of to the side. "It is a default setting of mine."

"Really?" he asked skeptically.

"My name is Metaru. So that I might know you better, what is your name?"

"Olric. What's with the torch?"

The cloaked one moved his eyes at his flame. "It is my light. My shadow never goes anywhere without it."

"Riightt…"

"You are human I noticed."

"What? Is it really so weird when a human does this kind of thing?"

"Are you rebelling then?"

"You talk exactly like a computer. You even sound like one… are you one?"

"… The reason I hide my face is because of my features. If you saw them, you would not look at me as you do now."

Olric pulled at his plain brown shirt and looked around awkwardly. "Wow, I wonder how much longer it is till we get off. It's already been an hour." As Olric said this, two people in far more extravagant cloaks than the cloaked one walked up to them.

One of them spoke, but they could not tell which one. The voice was completely mechanical. "Present your identification or be terminated."

Olric gulped and pulled at his collar with his metal hand, tearing his shirt. He looked down quickly at his shirt, then back up while pulling out a computer chip. "You guys take security seriously, I see."

The cloaked one reached through his hood and pulled out an identical chip. "I believe this will be satisfactory."

The two fancy cloaks took the chips with their own metal hands and examined them, or so it appeared. Their eyes were hidden, if they had any.

"Accepted," a voice said, and the fancy cloaks went to speak to the next person down the row.

Olric released a sigh of relief. "Man, those enforcers scare the hell out of me. I don't really know why,"

"I do," the stranger said quickly while his head was turned at the enforcers, as he now knew they were called.

"Why?"

"I… can't tell you here. It is a personal matter."

"You sound scared."

"I am. Let us talk of other things. Do you know where it is we are traveling?"

"All I know is that about a year ago, these guys got a hold of their own castle. Apparently the place is haunted, or so most everyone who's been there says. I don't know about that, but I do know that you can't get in unless you have permission, or can move at the speed of sound."

"Interesting. Do you know anything about the leader? I've heard of this 'Grimer', but is he really the single person in charge of this entire group of cyborgs?"

Olric looked over his shoulder at the enforcers who were currently holding a tazer to a frantic badger searching his pockets(?). He turned back to the cloaked one, holding his metal hand over his mouth to muffle the sounds. "I heard that Grimer is just the face. Rumor has it that there's a 'mastermind' behind the Brotherhood of the Metallix, the real big cheese of it all. And word around says he's a full fledged robot." Olric grinned and leaned back. "But that's just a rumor. Who listens to those, right?"

"You'd be surprised," the stranger noted as he pulled his hood to hide his burning eyes, still holding up his torch with one hand.

"Of course I'd be surprised. I'm just a normal guy, not like Sonic or the rest of them. Although, a lot of talk is going around about that one 'Metal Overdrive' character."

"What kind of talk?" the stranger said from under his hood.

Olric grinned, though he doubted the cloaked one even knew. "They say that the 'Eggman Robot' story is just a cover up. Some say he's just a guy in armor, hiding his real face because he's some escaped criminal. A lot of people from the Brotherhood I know say he's one of us, except with the Chaos Emeralds, he took the transformation all the way."

The stranger laughed slightly.

"What?" Olric asked as his smile went away. "You know something I don't?"

"Quite a bit, actually."

Olric looked suspiciously at his new companion. "So, Metaru, why are you here?"

"Why should I tell you? You will not tell me."

"Touché." Olric placed his flash hand behind his head, resting them both. "Alright, will you at least tell me why you're really carrying a lit piece of wood?"

"Alright. The truth is there is a spirit of fire existing in the flame, but his transportable form is only in this flame. I wanted some back-up for an infiltration, and my shadow spirit was the best candidate, but the flame spirit, his brother, demanded to come if the shadow was coming. So, I'm stuck carrying this torch. Happy?"

"…Okay, really, why are you carrying it?"

"I just told you."

Olric sighed and rolled his eyes, taking this opportunity to look out the window. "Hey look, we're getting' near the forest drop-off."

"The forest?" the cloaked one said as he raised his eyes at the window. "Oh no…"

"What?" asked Olric as he turned back to the stranger.

"It's just… someone's after me. And in the darkness is where he hides best."

Olric raised a brow.

"Everyone off," a mechanical voice called. "We have arrived at the walking point. Follow the enforcers to the flight directory to continue to the head quarters."

"I guess we better get going," said Olric as he stood up. "Hey, come on. There's about seven cyborgs here, right? Plus, if you're really scared, I got a magnum machine gun in my arm."

"A magnum machine gun?" the cloaked one asked with disbelief. "You cannot be serious. The recoil would be too great to control."

"But I can do it," Olric said knowingly. "Let's go already." Olric walked down the vehicle they were on and stepped out. The cloaked one followed suit and joined the others.

"Stay in the group," one enforcer said. Again, no one knew which one. "If any of you purposely leave, then you shall be terminated. Once we reach the spot, you shall board the craft and will be taken to headquarters." The enforcers turned and started walking down a unseen path, and everyone started to follow them. The bus that had brought them slowly drove away.

The stranger was in the back, trying hard to be the least noticed. Suddenly he froze. He had heard a harsh whisper…

_Hey, Mephiles, what the hell are you guys doing? We haven't heard from you guys in two days!_

"Oh shoot…" another whisper said, and the stranger ducked behind a tree.

His shadow quickly reformed and grew out of the ground, revealing Mephiles the Dark, who was shaking noticeably. "Damn it, Shadow, you picked a bad time to call."

The flame started to grow bigger, but the stranger and Mephiles quickly held up their hands. "No!" whispered Mephiles harshly. "Stay put Iblis!"

_What's going on? You haven't reported to us. How long do you expect us to wait before we get worried?_

"Fine, Shadow, I get that, but now is just not the right time. If we don't move, we'll have wasted three days worth of work. So, goodbye."

_Fine. Just report to us when you get the chance._

The cloaked one waved Mephiles back over. "Come on, Meph, we need to run."

Without another gesture, Mephiles melted back into the stranger's shadow. The cloaked one nodded in satisfaction and turned around, only to run into Olric.

"I thought I heard another-" started Olric, but he was interrupted.

"No you didn't," the stranger replied quickly.

Olric shook his head. "Well, move it guy, if we fall behind they'll kill us!"

"Right." the cloaked one nodded, and he and Olric ran to catch the rest of the group.

"You know," said Olric as they walked, "I never said I wouldn't tell you why I'm joining: I only said I wouldn't tell ya about where I got this arm."

Metaru looked up at the taller Olric. "Then, if I may ask, why are you here?"

"The usual stuff, actually. I don't like my job and I fail at life." Olric sighed. "But the truest reason of all is that I'm bored. This is the most excitement I've ever had. And I've only had my arm removed so far."

The stranger nodded and pulled his hood over his eyes again. "At least you have come to terms with your reason. Most people here would actually use the excuse of 'enlightenment' and a better existence. Only mad people or religious nutcases actually believe in a perfect existence here on earth. I'm not so sure about enlightenment, though…"

"So, I take it you're not here for the 'Revelation' either," Olric snickered.

"The Revelation?" questioned the cloaked one.

"Yeah. There's something happening tonight, and we're 'lucky' enough to get to see it. Personally, I think it's just Grimer showing off new weapons, but who knows?"

The stranger froze again and looked around. "Did you hear that?" he asked frantically.

"Hear what?"

"The sound of a sword being pulled from its sheath. He's here…"

Olric looked around. "Who?"

The cloaked one suddenly pushed Olric out of the way as a blast of blue energy came from the trees. The stranger was struck and he shook violently while dropping his torch. Olric's arm suddenly clicked and it shifted into a powerful looking machine gun. From one of the enforcers sleeves came what looked like a laser cannon. "All must make it safely to the Headquarters," said one of them. The one without a cannon motioned for the others to follow him, and the rest quickly ran away leaving an enforcer, Olric, and the still in shock cloaked one.

"Ah, Knight of the Moon" said a deep, distorted voice from the trees. "Did you believe to escape me by simply hiding your face inside a robe? Ha, ha, ha… You jest, for sure."

The cloaked one quickly shook of the blast and grabbed at his torch. With his other hand, he reached into his hood and pulled out a long and thin sword with a cyan jewel in its hilt. "I would not hide if you did not do the same. Why do you not come out and face me?"

There was a rustle in the leaves of a tree and the enforcer fired an energy blast. A shadow like form jumped away and disappeared. Olric blinked a few times. He had only seen it for a second before it disappeared.

"In the open goes against my title. Like the wind, I strike, but cannot be seen. And, like the wind, I cannot be stopped, I cannot be controlled… not even by myself." Another energy blast came from the trees. This time the cloaked one managed to leap out of the way with a back flip.

"Some title you have. A true knight would face me head on. But I suppose you know that the wind cannot move a mountain. Or, in this case, the moon." The stranger tossed his sword at a tree, sticking it above a branch. The stranger seemed to fly up and grab his sword's hilt, landing on the branch.

"And perhaps you are right. But I do not need to admit to that."

The cloaked one looked around. The enforcer suddenly shot at another branch, and the shadow Olric saw before moved and vanished before being shot.

"Face me, Knight of the Wind, and show me that you are a knight and not a petty assassin."

A laugh came from somewhere. "You would mistake me for an assassin? You have hurt my feelings. But maybe you are right. I will never hit you from the shadows around you." The shadow leaped out of nowhere and sliced the enforcer clean in half with his oddly shaped blade. The enforcer fell quickly. Olric gasped and his eyes widened.

"Holy shit, dude!" Olric yelled.

The shadow, using his fingers, wiped the oil from his blade. "It was but a mere robot," the shadow said. "Nothing more."

Olric took a good look at the shadow. It was an Animal, obviously, wearing a black metal suit. It was an odd material, for it bent with ease. The back of the shadow's head had some strange tongue shaped thing that looked as if you could hide a large hairdo in it. Upon his forehead was some strange symbol that was unknown to him that glowed an ethereal cyan, the same as his eyes (?). The cyan sword he held glowed the same color.

The stranger jumped down from his perch and starred at the shadow. "Tell me, Knight of the Wind, why is it that you are after me?"

The Knight lifted his eyes at the moon high in the sky. "You know why. That is why I must destroy you." The Knight's left hand became a gun of sorts, and he started shooting rapid fire energy bolts.

Olric ran in one direction while the cloaked one ran in the other. Olric started firing bullets from his gun-arm as he ran, aiming at the Knight. The Knight stopped his barrage as he was shot, but no blood would come from him, though he 'oofed' in pain with every shot. The cloaked one ran at a very fast speed that seemed to make him float off the ground and sliced at the Knight. The Knight spun around and fell. He gripped at his now bleeding side, but quickly leaped back up and aimed his blaster at Olric. Olric froze as the blast was fired, going straight for his heart.

The cloaked one grunted and pointed his sword at Olric and a wall of energy came forth and stopped the blast. Olric gasped at this, but quickly time slowed down for him as he heard a Sonic boom. The Knight was coming at him at the speed of sound. And, yet, Olric could see it all happen in slow motion. Every step, every calculated move the Knight made. Olric thought fast. His arm changed back into an arm in the split second within three hyper fast steps of the Knight. He pulled his arm back painfully slow and shot it forward, combining the mechanical arm's strength and it's 'shredder' weapon. The Knight ran right into weapon and was deeply stabbed, apparently not in the same slow motion as Olric. Time turned back on, and Olric though as fast as he could. He quickly hoisted the Knight up and slammed him into a tree. The Knight used his sword and cut Olric right between two of his ribs, causing Olric to step back and give the Knight enough room to pull himself free.

"You stabbed me, you dick," said the Knight as he gripped at his bleeding wounds.

"You attacked us, you dick," Olric sarcastically replied as he reeled his metal fist back and shot it forward. The Knight rolled out of the way, and Olric hit a very big tree, knocking it over.

"You missed," the Knight taunted. He suddenly turned to block at attack from the cloaked one. The two of them engaged in sword play, the two of them hitting and blocking each other's attacks in a quick paced clanging of metal. The Knight was unable to pull out his blaster without pausing long enough to give the cloaked one a chance to strike, but he was able to use both his hands in succession with his blade. The cloaked one, on the other hand, was only using one hand for swords play, the other still holding a torch.

The two duelers suddenly found their swords locked against each other, the both of them pushing against the other in a battle of strength. "Why _are_ you carrying that flame?" the Knight asked with earnest curiosity.

The cloaked one glanced at it, and his voice seemed to smile. "Oh, right, now I remember why I brought it with me." The cloaked one dropped it to the ground and began pushing his swords hilt with both his hands, overpowering the Knight. The flame beneath them suddenly became wild and it grew in size, engulfing the Knight, though he wore nothing flammable. The Knight flinched, and that was all the cloaked one needed to kick the Knight to the ground. The flames surrounded the Knight, and he screamed in agony.

"Return, Iblis!" yelled the cloaked one, and the flames returned to the torch that the cloaked one had picked up.

The Knight stood up, breathing heavily. "I should have known you'd have brought that spirit, " the Knight said, his voice not as deep as before. "There is no other reason for you to have an actual fire…"

"But you didn't," the cloaked one mocked. "And you paid the price. Are you done?"

"Not by a long shot." With this, the Knight pulled out his blaster and shot. The cloaked one brought up a yellow shield to block the attack.

"You have a very odd fighting style," the cloaked one noted as he brought his shield down. "From how you move, I can tell you are used to taking out hundreds, maybe even thousands of enemies in a single blow. But, when pit against a single foe, I can also see you are used to fighting someone just as fast. I am too sturdy and am too balanced for you to knock over. Like I said: you are the wind, and wind cannot move a mountain."

The Knight growled and prepared to strike again, but was punched by Olric's large metal fist. The Knight flew into a tree, and Olric 'woot'-ed. "Yeah, look at me in my bad self! You can't touch this, or anything else! You just got owned, pal!"

"You're overdoing it, Olric."

"Ahem, right, sorry. We win."

The Knight got back up, gripping at his blood stained and dented side. Sparks of electricity flew out of him every now and then. "This isn't (gasp) over, Knight of the Moon. I will return."

"And I'll be waiting," the cloaked one said as he pointed his sword at the Knight. "Bring a better sword next time."

The Knight paused and looked up, as if in realization. "Yes… a better sword… the best of them all…" The Knight turned back to the cloaked one. "I'll be back (gasp) with a better sword… and I'll beat you then and there." In a flash, the Knight disappeared.

Olric rubbed his eyes and blinked a few times as he adjusted from the bright light. "Who the hell was that?" asked Olric as he looked around.

The cloaked one looked at the body of the enforcer. "He was the one who had been following me. I must admit, you made this confrontation with him easier than my previous encounters. Thank you for your help."

"Any idea why he wants to get you?"

"I have many ideas: a list so long, in fact, we'd waste an hour's time trying to read it all the way through. But none of them make much sense, nor do I like them very much."

Olric grinned and chuckled. "Well, I'm certainly not bored anymore. We make a pretty good team. What says you I help with that infiltration plan of yours?"

The cloaked one suddenly turned to Olric. "What are you talking about?" the cloaked one asked frantically.

"Come on, you told me earlier, remember? About that flame, you told me how you got a shadow spirit, and you're just infiltrating the base. I want to help you do it."

"Why?"

"Because, I'm bored."

"I'm not-"

"Don't try to say it's too dangerous or nothin'. I've battled baddies myself, and always come out on top."

The cloaked one looked at Olric in the eyes. "In that case, you must not like the Metallix very much. You want to destroy them as well."

Olric looked surprised at the stranger's words. "Man, you are a computer. Only something that smart could figure that out." Olric sighed. "Yes, I hate the Metallix. They kidnapped a friend of mine, and I want him back. But this could very well cost me my life, and I honestly don't care about him that much. But, like I said, I'm bored."

"Perhaps, then, if you'll give me a moment to meditate," and with that, the cloaked one stepped behind the fallen tree.

Meditate my foot, Olric thought. Olric strained his ears and snuck up closer.

"What have we got to lose?" said the stranger's voice, though he sounded a lot more calm and a lot less wise than before.

"How about our only chance to get G.U.N. off our backs?" said a deep, suave, commanding voice that Olric for some reason wanted to melt into. But where did this other voice come from? "He's got a robot arm. Seriously, I don't think you get something like that from just boredom. I'm willing to bet he wants to bring in traitors so he can get some brownie points."

"But he helped us, Mephiles. Why would he do that?"

"Can't exactly turn in a traitor without the actual traitor, can you?"

_Hey, Mephiles, Metal, is now a good time?_ came a voice that seemed only half there, like from a walkie-talkie, but without interference. Does that even make sense?

"Now's as good a time as we are going to get," noted the suave voice, the apparent 'Mephiles'.

"Alright, I have to make this quick," said the stranger, the apparent 'Metal'. Not that far from Metaru, really. "We have currently infiltrated the ranks of the Metallix, and are on the way to their base of operations. However, an assassin that knows who I am has been tracking us and we have had a confrontation three times. He returned tonight, but a temporary ally made the battle without casualties. Due to this attack, we were separated from the group being transported to the base. But I have a way we can use to easily follow them."

Olric inched closer, but was afraid to actually look over out of fear of being spotted. _But you're alive, right? Tails won't stop bugging me until he knows._

"Well, we're talking to you, aren't we?" asked Metal stupidly. "But, do send him my sincere apologies. I know I tend to take longer than Sonic with some things, but that's my nature… sort of. I'm more thorough."

"Let's hope that doesn't get us killed," said Mephiles. "Or worse, Roboticized."

"That's not a real word."

_What about this 'ally' of yours? Can he be trusted?_

"Not sure yet," said Metal.

"I am," said Mephiles. "We can't. That's all there is to it."

_Yeah, well-_

"Wait a second."

There was a moment of silence.

"What do you mean?"

There was another moment. But, for some reason, the flames flickering became louder. Was Metaru talking to himself and doing a really good job of it?

"I guess that makes sense. _I _can sense darkness in a person's soul. You being able to sense light in them works out. And I can't sense that much."

There was darkness in his soul? How much? Was this even serious?

"If you're sure… we'll trust him. For now"

Hooray?

"Come then," said Metal, slipping back into his cloaked voice. "Our ally might be getting suspicious. We will talk later, Shadow."

_Don't wait three days this time._

Olric heard a dribbling noise and a pattern of leaves being crushed. Olric quickly back flipped and landing in where he had been standing when the cloaked one had moved behind the tree.

"Well?" said Olric as if impatient. "What will you do?"

"I will trust you," said the cloaked one. "But, be forewarned: at the slightest notion of betrayal, my shadow will strike."

"Fair enough," said Olric as he waved it off with his metal hand. "So, where do we go anyway? Our guide got cut in half." Olric looked at the puddle of fossil fuels that had formed around the fancy cloak of the enforcer.

"I have a theory," said the cloaked one. "The enforcer could give off a signal that the other enforcer will follow, and he will come and retrieve us. Or he could think we are all dead. Either way, I'll bet he'll come back to make sure nothing of importance falls into hands that are not that of the Metallix."

Olric scratched his head. "We wait?"

"We wait," nodded the cloaked one as he sat down. Olric shrugged and sat down as well. "Know any good riddles?" asked the cloaked one off handedly.

"Hmm?" said Olric. "Riddles?"

"Come, come, something that will force me to think."

Olric scrunched his face in thought. "Here's one that took me forever to figure out. What is it that the rich man needs, that the beggar has, that the dead eat."

"Brains?" the cloaked one asked.

Olric chuckled. "You'd think so, wouldn't you? But try again."

"Hmmm…"

-break-

"Nothing," he said to himself in the mirror. "Nothing can stop me now. Absolutely nothing. I've exhausted all possibilities, and rendered every idea, and destroyed nearly all opposing forces. My army grows vaster by the hour. I have the proper elements for world domination." He frowned, creating creases on his green, imp like face. "So why do I feel so unfulfilled? I had done everything you would have done, Dr. Robotnik." He smiled to himself. "Ah, how foolish of me. I meant to say 'Dr. Eggman'. But this isn't what he wants. It is because that you, Robotnik, are not the one, here, making this or any other world better." His grin broadened, which was the opposite of how he truly felt. "What I wouldn't give to know how that hedgehog is suffering right now, stuck in a world that hates him…"

"Need I remind you," said a deep, very commanding, robotic voice not too far away, "that we have the Anti-Omni Viewer? If you really wanted to go back-"

"No!" he shouted in a frenzy. He calmed down with a breath. "I can't go back. There's too much Chaos there for anyone to handle. Plus…" his voice trailed off.

The deep voice chuckled. "You are still loyal to that fool, Grimer. When will you realize; he was always a fool. You can't be a genius one day and a fool the next."

"Silence, creation!" shouted Grimer. "Do not mock the great Doctor! If it weren't for him-" Grimer paused.

"You are losing your ability to remember things. Need I also remind you that it was proven you would have made me, no matter what? You give him far more credit than he deserves. When will you see? You are the real brain here. Even I would be nothing without you to assist me."

"It does not matter," said Grimer harshly, turning his head and making his six odd insect leg like things sticking out of the back of his head bounce. "That is not the 'plus' I was talking of. I was speaking of the No Zone, and its inhabitants. One in particular."

"Ah, ha, ha, ha… You mean the cop. I bet that's a stab at your pride knowing that, in some way, in some form, the hedgehog is still happy."

"And it does not enrage you?" Grimer stated in spite.

"No. Not in the least bit. I am nothing more than a pile of circuits and wires with an armor coating. The hedgehog could come and insult my face as many times as he'd like and it would make no difference to me. I am unable to feel. Unlike, apparently, my double."

"If you can't feel, then why do you try at all? You are so intelligent, my greatest creation, and you insist on trying to rule a world, and you almost ruled all of one world's time. But if you can't feel, what do you want?"

"And thus, the creator has become clueless to his work's intention. How ironic, indeed. I want perfection. A foolish goal, I know. I don't know, however, why I want perfection. Simply that I want it. What caused the Big Bang? Some would say God. But, what caused God? Some would say that nothing caused him. But that contradicts the idea that the Big Bang needed a cause in the first place. Oh, how befuddling."

"So you're helping me for a goal you do not believe can be achieved."

"Before, yes. Now I hope that I can meet my double in his new state. I wish to challenge him."

"Yes, that's fine and all, but I doubt he would come here for any reason."

"And what makes you say that, Grimer? This _is_ his castle."

"Bah, that was when he was an Overlord. Now he would not come back here for any reason. It would bring him too much pain, I would assume." Grimer looked at his watch. "It would seem it is time for the great unveiling. Time to bring out the master plan to 'my' followers." With this, Grimer left the room he had been using. As the door closed, Grimer could be heard cursing. "Damn these ghosts! They keep rearranging the hallways! How can I get outside?"

The deep voice laughed and let his glowing red eyes wonder to his dust covered chess board. Not once had it ever been used. He was saving it for the ultimate mental match. "Foolish Grimer," said the voice to himself. "You should never make assumptions. I have already calculated that my double will be here tonight. How powerful his mind is… I must experience it before I can make a final decision."

Meanwhile, Grimer was walking down a hallway that a skeleton had mysteriously disappeared down. His expression was serious. This was when about five years of planning came to fruition. Nothing could ruin it. Nothing…

-break-

"Nothing!" Mephiles cried out from the alcove he, Iblis, and Metal had temporarily taken refuge in. "Nothing," he cried again, "is the answer to his riddle. Rich need nothing, beggars have nothing, and the dead eat nothing. How clever!" Mephiles nodded approvingly. "Did you hear me Metal?"

"Yes," said Metal offhandedly. "I heard you."

If Mephiles could have, he would have tried to look worried. Iblis simply stared at the bat that was hanging off his large, bulky hand. "What's wrong, Metal?" asked Mephiles as a stepped over to the crack in the wall that Metal was looking down through.

Metal made a sound of breathing through a nose. "I don't like this place," Metal stated curtly. "I have memories that I do not enjoy. I can hardly believe they took it for their own."

"What do you mean?" asked Mephiles. "Was this place important to you?"

"In some ways," answered Metal as he let his sight travel to the many, many people who had crowded around a stage at the far end of the grounds. "This was once my castle. When I was… The Overlord."

"Ah," said Mephiles. "I was wondering why there was so much misery in the air. This is where you-"

"Please don't say it," said Metal, raising a hand to his face. "The spirits aren't attacking me yet. Maybe they have forgotten what I did to them."

"And here I thought you were a super computer," Mephiles said in a sarcastic tone. "Don't fool yourself. Spirits never forget unless they're poltergeists. They have nothing better to do."

Metal shook his head. "Thanks for the vote of confidence."

Iblis waved the bat away and turned his head at the crack. He walked towards Mephiles and Metal. He pointed at a single man and a few cyborgs carrying something large underneath a sheet.

"Iblis says that's him," said Mephiles.

Metal turned on his binocular vision and zoomed in on this 'Grimer'. He was quite a sight, Metal noted. He was thin and in a lab coat and that was the only normal thing about him. The rest seemed like something a monster from a child's nightmare. He was green skinned and very wrinkly. He had no hair, but from a proper angle the six insect like legs sticking out of the back of his head almost looked like a hairstyle. He looked like a combination between a mummy and a zombie, for his skin seemed tight despite its ancient look. But, like most everyone else there, he had a robotic feature. Upon his back was a black piece of metal with two tubes coming out and then back in. Unlike the other mechanized people there, it actually seemed his machine was functional. What that function was, Metal could not say.

"I believe Iblis is right." Metal scanned for Olric. He was working his way through the crowd, trying to get a better view of whatever was going on.

"It's almost sad," noted Mephiles as he looked up. "If it were to rain all of sudden, all these people could very well die because of their cheap parts. But that's what they deserve for being dolts. Betterment through machines… you know books are becoming out of style. All of the writing in the world is ending up on the internet. A lot of writers aren't even bothering to be creative. They write about a video game or something. Though, some would say their work is better than the originals."

Metal, Mephiles, and Iblis all starred in one particular direction, seeming to look at someone.

"Machines are fine," noted Metal as he turned back to the crowd. "But the creatures of this world are dooming us all with it, all in the name of luxuries. Most live like a king would in olden times, and they still aren't satisfied. These people want perfection, but it is a foolish goal. One that can never be achieved. If all were perfect, nothing would be wrong, meaning there would be no reason to _do_ anything." Metal's tone became slightly gentler. "Is there another reason you are almost sad?"

Mephiles's eyebrows creased ever so slightly. "Tell me; do we still have an emotional link, or are you just perceptive?"

"A little of both, really."

Mephiles sighed. "Alright, fine. I _really_ would like everyone here dead. I just can't stand it. All these people are _willingly_ letting themselves be bought into this. None of them are being tricked, or mislead. They all know the truth, and they can live with it. They want everything else on the planet dead and replace it all, innocence and everything." Mephiles punched them wall, creating a satisfying thump. "They all believe this false religion and are fine with it."

"And we have to kill them" said Metal in realization. "There's no other way. We can't reason with mob hysteria. If we went out there right now, all that would do is cause them all to revolt against us."

Metal looked over the grounds. Oh, how he regretted making this place so big. There must have been at least two thousand pouring from all around, each one with some sort of destructive capability.

Before Metal could contemplate this any further, a voice rang out from all directions, coming from a speaker system. A giant holographic image of Grimer appeared, showing his wrinkled smile for all to see.

"Comrades," his raspy voice said. "At long last, our near final step to ultimate perfection is here. I have created the procedure with which we may ascend through the universes limits and become invincible!" A great round of cheers came from the mob.

"He's eating this up," Mephiles noted as he saw Grimer's smile broaden.

"No longer shall our kind be ridiculed for its differences or beliefs. No longer will we be the outcasts here on our planet. Mother Nature has at last met her match. The era of the machine has arrived!" Again, the applause rang out.

"Hey, Metaru," came a radio voice from Metal's head, "I'm in position, but I can't shift my arm with all these people around. I need a distraction."

"Hold on, Olric," replied Metal. "I need to see what he's up to."

"Behold, my comrades, the device that shall create a war we cannot loose. I give you-" the veil was pulled back, showing a table with many arms with tools and electric wires a single person stuck in its clutches. "The robotization process."

The hornet trapped in the device struggled to break free. "Let me go!" he cried, though only Grimer and Metal (thanks to hacking the sound system via radio link) were able to hear him. "You just nabbed me right off the street! I don't want a part of this!"

Grimer chuckled and stepped up to the machine and began pressing a few buttons of the console nearby. "Unfortunately, I don't care. Prepare to 'ascend.'"

The device began to act up and all of it began to shake violently. What happened next was forever burned in Metal's, Mephiles's, and Iblis's minds. The arms began to attack, for that was to only word for it, the hornet. In a few milliseconds, the hornet was ripped open, and at a speed that only Metal could see, his insides were being replaced… changed…

His flesh was turning into metal. His insides into circuits. It seemed to last forever. But the hornet did not scream. He didn't have the time, for it only lasted five seconds. In that short time, it was done.

"Arise, Re-made 1: Arise!"

The hornet, now a metallic ghost of its former self, broke free from its restraints and stood for all to see. What were once eyes were now lenses. What were once hands were now drills. What was once a set of wings was now pure energy shaped like wings.

What was once a hornet was no more.

Everything had been reshaped into what some could only describe as a warrior from hell. Its look was that of a scowl, and it appeared ready to kill anything in its path.

"Behold, comrades!" Grimer cried out to the crowd. "He has ascended into a perfect existence! And we shall all follow in his steps!" For a third time, the crowd cheered.

Mephiles took a step back. "There are few things I would call a 'fate worse than death'" he said, his voice shaking quite noticeably. "I do believe we can add this to that list."

"It was so fast," said Metal, his voice quite numb. "It was-"

"Hey, you there!" someone cried from behind them cried. They turned around to face a gecko a cat, and a human all with robot parts. "Why are there normal fleshies here?"

"I thought you said no one could get up here," said Mephiles as he turned his head to Metal, sounding annoyed.

"I thought I said that too."

"Hold on a second," the gecko said as he pointed his metal finger a Metal. "I know who you are!"

Metal turned his head frantically and noticed that his hood was down. "Oh, crud." Metal's hand retracted and turned into a gun.

The cat stepped up and waved her metal hand, and Metal's gun started short circuiting.

"Wait," said the gecko to Metal. "We don't want to fight you. We want you to-"

Iblis interrupted him by punching the ground, sending a shockwave out and knocking them over.

"Come on," hurried Mephiles as his boots ignited. "We've been discovered. It appears we'll have to flee."

"No," said Metal, his voice full of determination. "I have to get Grimer. I have to destroy that machine first." Metal pulled his hood over his head and flew off, pulling out his sword, now large and thick and being the color green. He ignited his booster and flew down, ignoring Mephiles's cries to stop.

Grimer stood and looked at his work, quite proud of himself. What he wouldn't give…

"Hmm?" he said as he saw the crowd for in the back looking up. People's heads kept going up in a peculiar fashion and in a wave. Grimer looked up and gasped. A cloak, with the look and appearance of a ghost nearly, was closing in on him.

"Re-made 1!" Grimer cried, pointing at the cloak. "Attack!"

The robot hornet responded immediately and prepared to strike, but its head was suddenly blown off.

In the crowd, a human with a particularly fine looking piece of machinery for an arm grinned. "That will work as a distraction."

The cloak landed in front of Grimer with a load clang and stood up, holding his sword over his shoulder. "You will die now, Grimer. Any last words?"

Grimer frantically reached into his pocket and threw from it a capsule at the cloaked one. A small explosion gave way from it, and Grimer sighed in relief. He gasped again as he heard the voice speak again.

"Allow me to introduce you to your death," it said as a robot stepped from the smoke cloud. "My name is Metal. You may have heard of me."

"You!" Grimer gasped. Before Metal could do anything else, he heard the entire crowd shout out things like 'it's him!' and 'the leader has arrived'. Metal turned, and what he saw surprised him more than many of the other strange things he had seen.

They were all bowing. Nearly every last one.

"Oh great one," Grimer whispered, bowing as well as the rest of them. "Please forgive me for my ignorance. I did not realize it was you."

"What are you talking about?" Metal asked wearily as he looked back at Grimer.

"You, oh great Metal, God of your namesake, have finally come to lead us to glory and victory. All hail the Metal!"

"All hail the Metal!" the crowd shouted in return.

"What?" Metal repeated, a strange sensation coming over him.

Grimer grinned. He had him now. He shut off his speaker and stood up, hunching his back to still make him look humbled. "You see, God of Metal," he started in a tone that was far from humble, "This castle of yours has an oddly placed statue that a great many of the people here have begun to worship. I know that's wrong, and you know it's wrong, but do we have to tell them that?"

"… What do you mean?" asked Metal, his voice ever so slightly showing that he was intrigued.

"Think about it all for a moment. These people will do anything you say. They are at your beck and call for everything and all. This is the chance you've been waiting for. I know what you are. Now, you can rule the world."

This sentence hit Metal hard.

He hated to admit it. He was thinking it over.

The power. This is that wave that he felt. He could be…

The Overlord.

Oh, for just a moment, he almost screamed yes. He almost yelled out that he was indeed a god, that he would rule. His deep rooted feelings of hate for all things living and his original programming was kicking in, and disrupting his thoughts. He almost screamed yes…

But almost is a long way from actually.

His thoughts wondered to a different feeling. It was one that he was still getting used to, but still could recognize at a moment's notice. He remembered all the friends he had made, all the adventures he had, all the dreams he had shared, and the promises he made.

And he remembered a face, a fox, him loving looks. Yes, it was a feeling that presented little in instant gratification, but its rewards were better than any power he had ever felt.

And now, he felt hate for himself, for forgetting this emotion for ever a moment.

"No," said Metal as he tightened his grip around his sword's hilt. "If you think you can buy your freedom with power, your wires are more screwed up than you realize." He began to lift his sword up high. The crowd let out a collective gasp.

"Now, here's a strange thought," grinned Grimer in victory, "Suppose their god decided to tell his subjects that what they were doing was wrong and that they are 'going about life the wrong way' or something like that. They would be confused, and would behave like wild animals, and attack their god. And you know that a great many wild animals, each with some strange ability, would be enough to bring down a terrible leader."

Metal turned his head to look at the many part robot people. Grimer was right. Going against this giant army would result in complete destruction. Metal lowered his sword.

"That's more like it," whispered Grimer.

"Damn you," said Metal, his voice dripping in venom.

Grimer laughed quietly. "Now, dear 'Lord', why don't you give your people your word of law?"

Metal shook slightly and turned around, sheathing his sword in his scabbard.\

-break-

Mephiles, Iblis, and Olric were all in sheer terror as they listened to Metal speak. He was accepting them. He was becoming their lord. He was…

Mephiles couldn't believe it. There had to be a problem. There simply had to be…

Olric sighed and clenched his metal fist. Damn that Grimer and his clever tricks…

Iblis looked at Metal and tilted his head, confused. He was wondering why Metal was talking to all the people there like this…

"Shadow…" said Mephiles softly.

_Meph? What's going on? Have you found the base?_

"Yes…" Mephiles droned out. "I'm afraid… we have a few problems…"

-Author's Note-

Oh, hey guys, I posted more story for you to read!

This is leading up to my second favorite part of the story. Once again, though, it feels like filler, but it gets important information across. Eight thousand words and it feels like a disappointment. How does this happen?

Also, the random quotes that are now at the top of the chapters… it was a promise I made someone long ago to add quotes. I haven't seen them in a long time, but I remembered it and decided to keep that promise.

Sincerely,  
>A person who enjoys writing, but finds many things in with which he is confused and finds himself in contrast with.<p> 


	40. Mind and Matter

The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.  
>~<em>Sun Tzu<em>

**Mind and Matter work Better Together**

Shadow skated through the trees, weaving his way in and out. He had never thought he would have to return to his currently set destination. But he had to. The circumstances were just very different.

"_Comrade Shadow_," came Omega's voice from the earpiece Shadow had decided to bring (and by decided, it is meant that Omega held a machine gun to his face and told him to), "_I still think that it was a tactically unwise decision to go alone_."

"Come on, Omega," said Shadow. He suddenly stopped and made a half hearted half-frown. He suddenly realized how much more cheerful he was. He shook his head and continued. "It's just that castle and a bunch of cyborgs. I can handle it with no problem."

"I would like to remind you that last time you had my and comrade Rouge's assistance."

"Yes, but that was when the castle was completely empty… except for ghosts. And all they did was make weird puzzles, which you guys helped me through, I'll admit. But all I have to do is run in, figure out why Metal's gone bad, fix it, and come back. Easy."

"And what if you can't fix it, comrade Shadow?"

Shadow, for real this time, frowned. "We'll tell Tails that he exploded while saving my life."

"That is dishonest, Shadow."

"I know." Shadow was quiet now, as was Omega.

Shadow came to an abrupt halt and stared at the large castle he had seen in the horizon quite a while ago. He wasn't exactly sure how to describe it, or how to remember it. It was a blur, almost. He remembered getting disoriented when gravity got shifted around. Shadow could not help but wonder how Metal pulled off such a technical shift. The question of what would have happened if he fell in upside down gravity was a fear that caught Shadow by surprise the first time, though he did not admit it. If he fell, would he fall until he was out of the castle's rang and simply hang in the air, or would he keep falling until he was in space?

That didn't matter now, though. Right now, he had to remember how he got in the first time. Again, this was a blur.

"Damn memory lapses," he said to himself. Again, something he told no one else was that he still had memory blanks. Unlike others, if he did not find something immediately important to remember, he did not put it in the back of his mind. He simply forgot. Like his birthday. That didn't seem important.

Shadow skated up to the wall that surrounded the grounds and looked in all directions. There appeared to be no one guarding the outside.

Shadow closed his eyes and concentrated. "Hey, Mephiles."

_Is that your catchphrase for calling me? You say it every time._

"Excuse me," Shadow replied with slight spite. "Is it annoying you?"

_Not really. Just seems a little strange._

"Whatever. How did you guys get in? I can't find an immediate entrance."

_The only way is through a hidden passage in the wall. Even if you found it, it would be useless as it can only be opened by the Enforcers._

"Right, the guards…"

_However, the walls are surprisingly unguarded, and there is no force field of any kind. You can simply run up the walls to get in. You didn't come alone, did you?_

"I did. Why? It can't be that bad."

_Just wait until you get inside._

Shadow shrugged it off and took a few steps back. With speed that had taken years to perfect, Shadow blasted off and up the wall. Wall skating. If physics had a voice, it would be cursing Shadow's name. With perfect time, Shadow slowed down, grabbed the top of the wall, and swung himself so that he was standing on top of it. Once he was, he regretted not bringing someone with him.

_Well?_

Shadow closed his eyes a groaned. "I should have brought Omega…"

_Shoulda, coulda, woulda. That's fun to say. But, while you're here…_

"Yeah, yeah, I can still do this." Shadow looked around. The nearest antigravity switch was about five miles away.

Damn, this place was huge. But, for someone with Shadow's speed, this should not have been a problem.

No, it shouldn't have been.

-break-

Metal was sitting and reading a book. And by just sitting, he was protecting the world from annihilation. That's quite the sitting, isn't it? Although, the reading didn't help much.

"I'm sensing animosity," said Grimer from the safe distance of six feet away.

"Screw you up the butt with something hard and sandpaper-y," Metal replied curtly as he turned the page. He was really only half paying attention to the battle between the 'Blue Hero' and the Ifrit.

"Yes, there is some animosity," Grimer replied as he started walking around Metal's throne.

"Gee, I wonder why?" asked Metal sarcastically, having lost count of the times he wished he had eyes. If he had some, he'd be staring daggers at Grimer. But as it was, he kept his gaze upon his book. "It can't have something to do with being forced to be a religion's god without wanting to do so _and_ that religion wants to destroy everything alive on earth." Metal shook his head. "It boggles the mind…"

Grimer scowled. "I really can't believe I even had to force you. You were a god once, I've heard. And here I am, giving you the chance to be one again. Yet instead of beginning our agenda, you just sit there." Grimer changed his scowl to a grin. "Of course, the masses can't wait forever."

Yes, this was how he was protecting the world. By sitting there and not making any orders. Were he an evil tyrant bent on taking over the world, he'd have started faster production of robotizing the Brotherhood of the Metallix But he wasn't…

At least, he hoped not…

He wasn't sure he hoped that either…

He had ordered them to only go one at a time, and demanded that each person be strictly rested and tested before continuing, making each procedure about forty minutes long. This made turning the whole army into machines a job that would last about three days, if nobody stopped to sleep. Of course, they did, so it would take five days. Two days had already passed.

And, for a very twisted reason, he wasn't sure he could last that long.

"Being God was too hard," noted Metal as he shut his book. "It was too much strain and not enough gratification."

"Really?" Grimer said, still with his grin. "I can't imagine anyone giving up that sort of power willingly. From what I understand, the power was wrongly taken from you."

"It was not wrongly taken. It was rightly taken." Though he said this with anger, Metal wasn't sure where it was directed.

"How long, I wonder, can you stand having all this power at your disposal before finally snapping? Really, think about. Unless someone comes to save you, you are doomed. And, logic being what it is, more than likely your friends will make the assumption that-"

"Shut up," Metal whispered darkly.

"And then," continued Grimer, looking pleased with Metal's reaction, "your only recourse is to lead us, to join us… to be one of us."

"Shut up!" Metal shouted this time as he stood up and advanced towards Grimer. "I'll sooner dismantle myself before I'm a monster again!"

Grimer grinned even more maliciously. "Would you?"

Would he? The question sent Metal through a loop despite its simplicity.

Would he?

Grimer noticed Metal's pause and responded, "I see, despite your assurance, you do not even know."

Metal turned back to his chair with a grunt to show he was sure. The funny thing was… he was sure.

Sure it wouldn't be much longer.

Grimer was right. The call- the roar- of the monster within him was great. When he lacked the tools, the beast was silent; but now, with the means of conquering the world at his disposal, the monster within writhed for a chance to unleash the furry that Metal had forced back for years. And the call… it was intoxicating to him. The thought was so enticing. Metal had heard how people became 'aroused' at the strangest of things. He was pretty sure, with power, he had the same problem.

-break-

"Santo Madres de dios…" Olric leaned against the wall, utterly stumped. He thought he could think his way out of nearly any situation. This one was tricky.

The problem he faced? He needed to stall. Sounded simple. But about five Enforcers guarded the Roboticizer, and every single person here was actually excited about this 'enlightenment'. He couldn't simply sneak up without someone yelling at him for cutting in line. Then an enforcer would catch him and toss him in the dungeon for disrupting the peace, or something stupid like that.

He needed to give those other heroes time to get here and help. They were all probably baffled as to how to get in and do something without dying. Olric himself didn't care about dying, but only if he actually succeeded with his objective. He'd hate to, as many adults say to their children in varying forms, throw his life away for no reason. No, if he threw his life away, it had to be for a good reason.

Plus, he didn't want God's hard work to go to waste. Yeah, he believed in God. In just wasn't sure how to believe in Him. Olric knew He was there; just not how. Olric had his own theory, actually. It was something like: God is all powerful, all knowing, and all kind, right? But then, why is there suffering? If God is all powerful, He could stop it. So maybe he's not all knowing. He could stop it if he wanted to, many say. Maybe He isn't all kind.

Olric had it that God is all these things, yet he isn't. Sometimes He is, sometimes He isn't. Knowing everything would be boring, for there would be no surprise. Maybe he can be surprised if He wants to be. Maybe, without suffering, there would be no reason to not be miserable, which is being happy. Maybe He is letting the world grow, for if he intervened too much, it wouldn't be the world he created. So all He can do is watch and suffer and be miserable for us. And, maybe like the Spanish people's belief that a person is not gone until they are completely forgotten, applies to God. As long as people believe He is there, He is there. If there were no people, no one would believe in Him, and then there would be no Him.

Olric sighed, not really sure where he was going with this. Thinking to himself about these things just wasn't as much fun as arguing about it with someone. Of course, no one here would argue with him.

What was he doing? Oh, yeah, stalling. How to stall, how to stall… he could lure the enforcers away, but he'd be attacked by the not-wearing-robes Brotherhood of the Metallix. Sure, they were each scrap metal compared to his tech, but about one thousand and one of these guys? Suicide.

Suicide… wait a second.

These people weren't performing suicide, he realized. Aside from the ones forced, he noticed that they still possessed their free will. Even the ones against it retained the ability to speak. These people were scared of death.

Now, as he grinned devilishly and pulled out his last worldly possession, an MP3 player with all his favorite songs, he realized how to stall, take revenge, _and_ cure his boredom, all at once. He turned his music player on and flipped to his personal favorite: 'Death and Honor'. He wasn't sure who made it. All he knew was that it was a hip-hop boss theme from a video game. A game all about killing people.

In the most creative way possible.

-break-

Silver came off to many people as naïve. It was probably because puberty wasn't exactly friendly to his voice. He sounded like he had no vocal chords. And, to add insult to injury, he couldn't sing. It's not an ability that would readily be useful, but, well, it would be nice.

Of course, his gullibility probably added to it. Take, for example, just a few hours ago. Jet and Vector thought it would be funny to tell Silver that baking soda and vinegar was tasty when mixed together. These things had not existed in his future, but he should have caught on from the way they talked about it. Really, why would someone come up and tell you this sort of thing randomly? He was still unpleasantly burping. He was naïve.

At least he didn't try to lie about it.

Silver was sitting on a couch with Blaze laying on him and snuggling into his bush of chest fur. She purred every now and then as Silver held her head and held her close. Blaze, however, could not stand the sight of Silver in deep thought. No matter how she had known him, he was always determined, but never deep in thought.

"What's wrong, Silver," Blaze asked gently as she raised her head up to him.

Silver blinked a few times before finally answering. "Am I really naïve?" he asked with sincere confusion in his voice and eyes.

Blaze could not help but notice that he resembled a child slightly as he asked. "What do you mean?"

"I mean what I asked: Am I naïve?" Silver sighed. "It seems that everyone here is smarter than me. I'm tricked so easily." Silver placed his hand over his mouth as he released a particularly large burp. "Even Knuckles can get me when he wants to, and he's supposed to be the gullible one."

Blaze gave Silver a blank expression. It was strange for Silver. He, in the actuality of time and space, had only known Blaze for a few weeks, so his memory said. Yet he knew all of her quirks and habits. A blank expression while she looked directly at him meant she was surprised by something he did. Blaze blinked and sat up, turning to him one and taking his hand. "Yes Silver," she said plainly.

Silver shook his head dejectedly. He heard a large clang and the sound of Tails yelling in some sort of terror. It appeared Sarsar had dropped another giant mechanical thing of Tails's. Silver turned away from Blaze in shame. "Then why do you love me?" he somewhat begged. "If I'm so naïve, why do I deserve you? Why not someone who's not stupid?"

Blaze smiled sweetly and placed a hand under his chin. "Silver, that list goes on and on. In fact, you being naïve is one of the reason's I like you." Again, another quirk of hers. Though she meant love, she always said like. He never understood why, as she was neither a guardian of Sol nor of a demi-god when they had first known each other. At least, that's what he thought. "You being naïve makes you sweet and gentle. I like someone who's gentle. And besides, you're not dumb. You're just lacking in common sense."

Silver smiled softly as well, taking her hand. "Common sense, huh? I guess, me being me, common sense wouldn't help. I need…" Silver looked thoughtful a moment before smiling again, "special sense."

"Yes, Blaze said as he leaned against him, kissing him softly. "Special. Just like you."

Again, a large clang was heard. This time, it was accompanied by vibration and Wave, from across the hall, groaning, "Oh, that little shorty…"

Silver and Blaze each looked confused for a moment before quickly getting up and running towards where they realized the sounds were coming from.

Wave slammed her hand unto the switch that opened the hanger's inner entrance. She was met with a burst of wind in her face. She pulled down her goggles so the wind would not sting her eyes and beheld what was a hedgewolf standing on the back of the Cyclone with an expression that an excited dog would give on a car ride. Wave blinked and noticed Tails in the cockpit of said plane, looking determined as he flipped his sacred vehicle on.

"Tails!" Wave yelled over the wind. "What are you doing? Shadow told us to wait!"

Tails gave Wave an apologetic look. "I can't sit here and do nothing!" Tails shouted back. "He's my friend!" The plane began to move.

It was at this time that Silver ran into the room. He saw Tails leaving and did the first thing that came to his mind: he jumped aboard, using his abilities to glue himself to the Cyclone's wing.

Tails gasped as he noticed this, but it was too late to stop. The Cyclone dropped out of the Great Babylon, heading towards the impending doom that had taken Metal away from them.

Wave pulled the switch that closed the hanger up, sighing as the large door shut. She noticed Blaze standing in the normal doorway, looking somewhat surprised.

"Geez, those guys sure are stupid, huh?" asked Wave as she pulled her goggles back up.

Blaze took a moment before answering, with a smile, "No. They aren't stupid. They're just… naïve."

-break-

Shadow landed on the cobblestone floor with a grunt. Not that it actually hurt the Ultimate Life Form, but it wasn't exactly polite of his capturers.

"We'll take you to the Overlord later," said the brute that had pointed him out to the robed thugs. Shadow was caught off guard by their strength in numbers. Shadow always thought there was no strength in said idea. Turned out that was only true with robots. Made by Eggman.

"Ah, glad you could join us Shadow," came the voice of Mephiles from the other end of the cell. "How did it go?"

Shadow looked up to see Mephiles sitting, apparently relaxed, and Iblis with a little bat on each of his large fingers. Shadow's eye twitched. "How did it go? I'm locked in a cell, with you, and there _aren't_ screams of terror coming from outside. How do you think it went?"

"Don't have to get testy."

Shadow ground his teeth for a moment before taking a deep breath and getting up. They, being he, Mephiles and Iblis, were in a dungeon with a bunch of other obviously here-against-their-will people. Shadow grabbed at the cell bars, noting how easy they were to break for a person like him.

"This is going to break Tails heart," said Shadow after a few silent moments.

"What will?" asked Mephiles.

"Metal. Being the Overlord again."

"What gives you the idea he's the Overlord?"

Shadow motioned to the cell around them.

Mephiles chuckled. It was rather empty. "I can't believe you would think that. I mean, do you really?"

"I don't want to…" said Shadow, surprised he had said it so sincerely, "He's… my friend."

Mephiles replied warmly, "Then don't. Metal's a very calculating person. If he had really wanted to stop us from interfering, he would have had people be on the lookout for us, telling his army what to watch out for."

"But we're in this cell."

"Ah, but can we not easily break out of it? This cell is designed for the normal people in this world. Metal knows we are not normal."

Good point. "Well, what about all the people out there?"

"Does the phrase 'Chaos Control' mean anything to you?"

Another good point.

"You know Metal, and I know him better. Better than he even does. He would never leave such an opening in his defenses for us. No, I can see it. Tell me, Shadow, you were here before, correct?"

"Yeah, I was."

"During that time, you took notice of a statue that looked like Metal when the castle was upside down, right?"

"Yes, but I didn't realize what it was at the time. Why?"

"The people here have moved it, made a shrine around it, and worship it. Though it's a little off now, it basically looks like Metal. To them, Metal is their god."

"You've been watching Pirates of the Caribbean, haven't you?"

"… Johnny Depp rules."

"I don't know. It seems a little out there for Metal to be worshiped against his will. Couldn't Metal just fly away?"

"Most of them have weapon scrambling things. Metal might be able to shoot off, but he'd have to be lucky to get out of here before someone messed up his brain wire… things."

"Systems?"

"Don't mock me. I might be smart, but I don't know anything really since I _was_ trapped in a scepter for ten or so years."

"Not my fault."

"Whatever."

Iblis looked up.

"What?" Mephiles said suddenly.

Iblis quickly turned his head to Mephiles, shaking the bats away.

"He wasn't stupid enough to come alone, I hope."

Iblis nodded.

"Just him?"

Iblis shook his head.

"Shoot."

Shadow growled slightly. "I hate it when you do that."

Mephiles groaned. "Sorry about that. Iblis can feel Tails coming in his plane thing."

"Idiot," Shadow said harshly as he slapped his face. "I told him to wait for me to call them."

"Of course you did. But really, we never listen to each other except during our group hugs and picnics."

Shadow said angrily as he grabbed Mephiles by the scruff, "Cut the jokes. Who's with him?"

Mephiles gently pulled Shadow off himself and replied, "Sarsar and Silver."

At least he brought some useful back-up. Shadow stepped back, looking at all the random people trapped in their cells. "Well, what do we do? We can't just leave Metal here, but they'll get destroyed out there."

"I need some power, Shadow. When the time is right, we're going to use good old fashioned strategic retreat."

-break-

"Why prolong it?" asked Grimer, continuing his trek around Metal. "Sooner or later, they will be done. When they are, what do you plan then? You don't have a choice in the long run."

"There's always a choice," Metal proclaimed, his hand over his false chin in thought.

"And it's been made for you. Give up already."

"How did you make them?" Metal asked suddenly, looking directly at Grimer, staring right into his eyes. "How did you make them? Eggman destroyed the original blueprints."

Grimer blinked a few times, looking confused. "What?"

"Don't play dumb with me" Metal said accusingly as he stepped up to Grimer and poked him hard in the ribs. "They're built just like I was originally. Super FX DSP Chip with a five link connection system, the Next Risk Chip Series 3 Model TV picture imaging compensation unit, 255 cc, 4 Valve Organ Fusion Engine, and a Tesla Power Coil as the backup engine. The only thing they lack is the Artificial Intelligence ROBOTNIK Custom Chip, which I know can't be duplicated. How did you do it? How did you make perfect copies of me?"

Grimer gave a cruel grin in return. "That is my little secret." Then he laughed slightly. "I'll give you a hint, though: I didn't get the plans from Eggman, or Dr. Robotnik."

Metal growled. He hated games like these, where he didn't even have all the proper information. "I said don't play dumb. I'm one of the smartest things to exist. Sooner or later, I'll figure it out."

"If that's the case," Grimer noted as he waved Metal off, "why are you under my servitude? If you truly were so smart, you could get out of your forced Godliness."

Metal gave a defeated sigh, turning his head to the window. Grimer had a point, didn't he?

Then, Metal heard it. It was such a nice sound that he heard. He assumed only his finely tuned mechanical senses could pick it up. This sound filled him with such joy. Despite the beast within him crying out for destruction, he was no longer afraid of that inner time bomb going off. What was this sound that filled him with hope after being hopeless for so long?

It was a plane.

Metal turned to Grimer, his voice now filled with confidence. "I have a deal to strike with you," said Metal, sounding excited. "I'll be the God you want and lead them to victory. I'll go out there right now and order to get things moving so that we have our army by tomorrow."

Grimer, though this was what he wanted, looked skeptical. "Why the sudden change of heart, Sir Metal?"

Metal chuckled darkly. "Because, I know how to prove my intelligence to you. I will play the role of the Metal God, and I will obey all your rules. Doing this, I will defeat you."

Grimer raised an eyebrow-less brow. He appeared quite confused. "You'll do everything I say and defeat me?"

"That's right. And when I do, you will tell me how you or whoever made them. Is it a deal?"

Grimer frowned, remembering something he had heard once. 'If someone comes up to you and bets that he can make the ace of spades come out of a deck of cards and squirt you in the ear with cider and you take that bet, chances are you'll have cider in your ear.' But, it's wasn't as if Grimer could simply let him go, could he? That would be even more foolish.

But Grimer knew of Metal's intelligence. Maybe he was bluffing, hoping to simply scare Grimer into letting him go. Yeah, that had to be it. There wasn't a thing Metal could do.

"Very well," Grimer grinned as he stuck out his boney hand. "I'll take that bet of yours."

Metal shook Grimer's hand. Though he could not feel, he could tell his skin was very dry.

A very high pitched scream filled the air. It came from the window overseeing the castle grounds. Right where the Roboticizer was.

-break-

Punch, kick, kick, punch, metal punch, kick, punch, kick, punch, punch…

Pull back metalic fist… build up power…

Unleash!

With a blow filled with enough force to topple a tree, Olric socked the other human he was fighting in the gut, sending him flying through the air, screaming. He gave a satisfying sound-a mix between a splat and a crunch-as he hit the wall, becoming nothing more than a red mark.

They were still advancing. Not scary enough.

Olric grabbed the nearest torch post, wondering in the back of his mind why the fire was blue, and ripped it from the ground. One grunt was running up to him with some tazer like thing for a hand. That poor fool.

Grab him by the collar. Take aim. Shove.

The torch's pole went right through the person's skull, again with a blood curdling scream. Blood was now all over Olric.

But he had just started.

He grabbed the guy with the pole through his head (who looked a little disorientated) and spun him a few times. With a mighty toss, Olric threw the random person onto another pole, this one going through his stomach.

They were still coming. But they had slowed slightly.

Olric ducked out of the way as someone shot a laser beam at him. Instead, they hit their team.

Idiots.

Olric grabbed another person charging at him. He carried him over to a random barrel and leaped up with the help of his jetpack.

Up. Down. Shove into the barrel.

Olric picked up the barrel and jumped as someone tried to sneak attack him.

Up. Down. Shove. Compress.

Blood was now dripping from the barrel.

With another mighty toss, Olric sent the grunt(s) to his/their doom. On the same light post as the last one.

They still were around him, but the ones that had seen Olric's battle tactics up close weren't getting any closer. Olric now had a ring surrounding him.

Two Enforcers stepped up to face Olric. Before they even had a chance to assess the situation, Olric's shredder weapon popped out-

Slice.

Slice.

-and he cut them in half, one sideways, one longways, with deadly accuracy.

Olric grinned evilly, motioning anyone else to come up and face him. None near him moved.

If they simply rushed him all at once, Olric would be overpowered. This was obvious to Olric. However, these people 'devoted' to their cause were too scared to attack.

Idiots.

He started running and instantly everyone in his path screamed like girls and ran out of the way. The ones who had not seen his tactics up close dared challenge him.

Thus, the third wave. This time the few already roboticized

Bonus points, he thought. Maybe mix it up a bit this time.

Punch, kick, kick, punch, metal punch, kick, punch, kick, punch, punch…

-break-

Tails looked down at all the castle that held a few fond memories, despite its creepy essence. It was so large, like a lot of the places he used to explore with his older brother.

A strange thought occurred to Tails. He wondered what Metal was to him. Sonic would now and forever be his bro. Metal could never, and had not even tried, to be his replacement. Metal was not a brother.

So what was he?

"Is this it?" cried Silver over the wind from up high. "This place is gargantuan! How the heck does nobody notice it?"

Tails snapped himself from his thoughts and remembered why they came. "This is as close as I can get without being seen! You'll have to jump!"

"Jump?" Silver shouted before he was grabbed by Sarsar's beefy arms. Sarsar grinned stupidly as he prepared to descend. "Stop! Heel! Don't do it you stupid-"

Sarsar gave a quick wave to Tails, Tails returning the gesture, before jumping off, Silver screaming as they fell.

Tails was left to himself as he flew through the dark sky, the moon's light as his only company. Again, his thoughts drifted back to Metal and his relationship with him. Metal had done a lot for him. It wasn't just confidence he had received. It was understanding as well. Someone who, like a mountain against the wind, and the moons assurance to rise in the night, was dependable. Sure, a brother was there to talk to and have fun with, but Metal was something else. It wasn't 'Hey bro, let's go do something random. Alone time? Yeah whatever. See you later', it was 'How's it going? What do you want to do right now? You want to be alone? Alright. I'm here if you need someone to cry to. Don't forget'.

Metal was…

Metal was…

"My friend," Tails said, his voice caught by the wind.

-break-

"Attention all Metallix!" came the voice of Grimer through the speaker system. "All shall gather at the courtyard immediately! The master has become tired of waiting! We shall start now and finish tomorrow!"

"Is it time now?" asked Shadow, appearing slightly impatient as he tapped his foot.

"Yes," said Mephiles, performing his sudden transformation into his crystal statue form. Iblis followed suit and became covered in stone and molten fire. Shadow formed in his hand a spark of his personal Chaos energy and held it out to Mephiles. Mephiles took the spark, and instantly his amethyst crystal became a golden topaz. "Man, that feels good." Mephiles grabbed the bars and ripped them off. Shadow saluted to Mephiles and skated off, leaving the brothers to work.

Iblis began tearing more cell bars off, while Mephiles shouted, "Alright everyone, we need to hurry! We don't have much time! I need you all to trust us and just run into the swirling portal of light. It will take you to safety." Mephiles held up his crystal claws and conjured a yellow portal.

With slight hesitation, the prisoners began to walk into the light, pausing to stare at their bizarre saviors. Iblis received especially sincere looks of gratitude from children.

"Excuse me," an old man said. Mephiles turned around to stare at the old wrinkled face, smiling at him. "Did the Lord send you?"

Mephiles paused, unsure. Not about whether or not he was sent: he was unsure if he was pleased or insulted.

"No," said Mephiles plainly, to which the old man frowned. "But He gave me the ability to come."

Again, the old man smiled. Did Mephiles care? No, not really. About the God thing. He liked the smile a lot, though.

-break-

Metal was taken back a ways when the blood suddenly splattered all over him. It was… a little disturbing.

But sickeningly invigorating.

Metal had long forgotten you could not judge a book by its cover. Olric had seemed so normal on the bus ride. He even behaved as one might expect during a dangerous situation. Watching Olric as he sliced a squirrel in half, grinning maniacally and massaging the blood on himself as if it were bathwater, he saw a different person than his original impression had left.

Grimer raised a brow and smiled earnestly, much to Metal's surprise. "My, he's quite the fighter, isn't he? If they don't kill him, he'll make an excellent bodyguard for us."

"Excuse me?" Metal said. "If they kill him? He's murdering them! Literally! We're thirty feet away, and he splattered blood on us. They don't stand a chance unless I intervene."

"And you will in a moment. But I want to see how he goes against Re-made 23." At this, a mechanoid cowboy, as its attire consisting of a cowboy like cloak, a hat, and two old time-y looking laser guns suggested, stepped up to face Olric. The Brotherhood around them formed a ring of spectators and trapped them.

"Couldn't you think of a better name than plain old re-made and a number?"

"What would you suggest, impertinent one?"

"Why not 'The Cow-Poke'?"

"Yes, fine. The Cow-Poke… idiotic buffoon…"

The Cow-Poke fired a few shots at Olric as it skated on spurs around the ring. Olric ran around the ring as well, nimbly dodging the laser bursts. The Cow-Poke stopped and stuck his slender leg out as to trip Olric. Olric slid through the Cow-Poke's legs, leaped up, and struck the Cow-Poke's arms causing him to drop his guns. Taking advantage of his sudden confusion, Olric rolled over the guns and garbbed them and then took aim at the Cow-Poke.

Shoot.

Shoot.

Shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot.

The Cow-Poke was now nothing more than skeletal frame. But just to be safe…

Bang!

The Cow-Poke exploded, and Olric caught the metallic skull, holding it up poetically.

Grimer's eye twitched. "Fine, then. Order them to surge on him. He can't take that many on at once."

Metal stepped forward, about to give the proclamation, but paused. "Do you hear that?"

"All I hear is the sound of you not doing what I said!"

"No, I hear a female screaming her head off in fear… and it's coming from the sky."

Grimer and Metal looked up to see that the screaming female turned out to be Silver the Hedgehog and Sarsar the Hedgewolf falling from the sky, Sarsar holding Silver tightly.

Sarsar landed with a foundation shaking thump and instantly swiped at the unsuspecting Metallix before him, sending them flying towards Olric. Olric stuck out his shredder and, for lack of a better term, blended the grunts flying at him. Silver saw this, and instantly looked ready to barf.

With swipes of his claws and extensions of his arms, Sarsar tore through the crowd, working towards his apparent robot armed ally. Olric looked in confusion at the lumbering beast, but he had not long to do so. In another few seconds, a samurai like machine stepped forward to face them.

"I dub him Sam Samurai!"

Grimer rolled his eyes.

Metal paused a moment. "Incidentally, why did you let them have themes?"

"I thought it would be fun."

'O.o'

Sarsar heaved his large fist forward, and Sam leaped up, digging his sword-on-a-stick into Sarsar's arm in the process. Sarsar howled in pain and grabbed at Sam with his other arm. Sam nimbly dodged, but when he stopped moving for a fraction of a second, Olric shoved a torch pole through Sam's head. Sam was not deterred by that, and swiped at Olric with his blade staff. Olric jumped up, using his jetpack for extra lift. Sarsar performed an upward swipe that sent Sam up in the air. Olric punched the aerial Sam and sent him to ground, creating an explosion.

Olric landed and gave Sarsar a quick high-five.

Silver, meanwhile, had passed out initially from someone's… internal organ slapping him in the face. The only reason he was not being turned into a robot at the moment was because Shadow happened upon him. And no one there was fool enough to go against the Ultimate Life Form head on. So Shadow held Silver over his shoulder, holding two sparkling Chaos Spears in his hands, and guarded the powerful yet squeamish hedgehog. He was hoping to work his way over to Sarsar and gain more protection.

Tails then chose this moment to heroically land with his Cyclone, in battle mode, and fire about twenty missiles that targeted random people and cause many small explosions.

Metal, for once, was glad he couldn't smile. Grimer would have caught on.

Grimer raised an eyebrow. "Hmm, how very interesting," he mused. "I've never seen the heroes cooperate in such a way before. It would appear you have united them better than the hedgehog did."

There it was again… better. He didn't want to be better.

Metal pointed at the next contender to face Olric and Sarsar, a ninja wearing, instead of all black, an army camouflage colored cloak. "I'll call that one G.I. Ninjoe."

Grimer glanced at Metal, opened his mouth, closed it, and then spoke, "Alright, that one is clever."

Ninjoe tossed his exploding grenades/ninja stars at his opponents. Olric rolled out of the way while Sarsar held up his arms in defense as he was unable to get out of the way quick enough. The ninja stars stuck themselves in his skin, which confused Sarsar for a moment, as shown by his expression.

"They explode!" cried Olric, unable to hear his own voice as his music player was still playing. Sarsar gasped in shock as he flung his arms forward. They stretched out until they reached past Ninjoe, barely missing him. The explosives lodged in Sarsar's outstretched arms **kaboomed** at this moment and sent Ninjoe flying back. Sarsar's arms retracted and he gripped and his burns. Olric ran up to Ninjoe and attempted to dig his shredder into him, but Ninjoe vanished as Olric went for the kill. Ninjoe reappeared behind Sarsar and sliced his back with a small knife. Sarsar roared and in a blink grabbed Ninjoe and started to bang him against the ground.

Forward. Back. Forward. Back. Forward. Back. Forward. Back.

Aerial flip.

Slam.

Ninjoe exploded. Olric figured the mighty ape like wolf-thing had about two thousand points less than him. This guy was good.

"Order them to surge," ordered Grimer with a wave of his hand. "If this keeps up much longer, even the Roboticized will be too afraid to attack."

Metal pulled a microphone from nowhere. Before speaking into it, he told Grimer, "I hope you still remember our bet." Metal flipped the mic on and his voice echoed throughout his castle. "Attention, you idiotic excuses for warriors," Metal cried cruelly, "You are all weak! Show me your commitment! Stop prancing around like fools and attack! If you all strike at once, only a few of you will die! You must if any of you want to live to see our perfect world!"

Tails and his cyclone froze suddenly. Had he heard correctly? Was that Metal giving those vicious orders…?

Tails looked around. Metal was standing in front of a large door with a nasty looking green man. He was not fighting. He was not helping. He was watching.

Was… Shadow lying? He had said Metal was shut off… was he reprogrammed?

No. Tails couldn't even do that. If he couldn't do it, only Eggman could.

Tails, with a determined look that did not match his inner feelings, worked his way towards Metal and the green man, simply plowing through the Metallix with his walker.

Metal saw Tails approach. This was it.

It was time to show Tails his power.

"Ah, Tails," Metal said in a gentleman like fashion as Tails came up to them and jumped out, blocking the Metallix out with his walker. "I'm so glad you could join us here at my castle. I hope you have enjoyed the company thus far."

Tails eyes opened wide. "M-Metal? What are you doing?"

Grimer snickered evilly and replied, "Why, he's this fine cult's God, of course, He is the one who will lead us to victory against fleshies like you."

Tails gasped.

Metal concentrated. Now, when he actually wanted to sound cruel, he was having a hard time forcing it out. Tails did that to him. "Yes, isn't it grand? It is my castle after all. It's only proper that I rule it with the iron fist that I possess."

Shadow built up the energy within him, concentrating all his rage. There wasn't that much to spare as there used to have been. But there was just enough…

"Chaos Blast!"

Explosion.

Death within a fifty foot radius… it was a lot of death. But not enough to stop them from coming.

Olric fired like mad with his machine gun while Sarsar's fists practically became wrecking balls and pounding the earth below them, shaking and quacking it.

"You see, I didn't need to reprogram him. I simply had to ask and he accepted. After you are added to his kill list, we shall turn this whole planet into a mechanical paradise."

"Metal… I thought…"

"Thought what? We were friends? No Tails, we aren't friends." How true. Metal only wished he didn't have to say it like this.

"How delightful. You're beginning to tear up. Is the poor little child about to cry?"

Tails eyes were becoming watery. But he couldn't cry. Not now. "So all that happened between us… me saving you… you talking with me… it was for nothing?"

"No." The only real truth Metal could give. "It wasn't for nothing. Not at first. I'll admit, I was blinded by my past failures and actually desired your companionship. But the call of the power-the call of the Overlord-it was too much. Think of it like this: if we hadn't come here, we might still be acting like a cutesy father and son relationship."

"I bet that hurts, little fox."

Unbearably so. "No… your programing can't be that strong. Fight it Metal. I know you can."

"Fight it?" laughed Grimer. "Fight it? Why should he fight it? He could rule the world and have any 'friend' he wants." Grimer said friend with a sneer. "It's too much for him to handle, this intoxicating power. Do you know what power? The power to decide when someone lives or dies."

That's right, Grimer, fuel the fire.

"Do you know what we're standing on? Go ahead, Metal, tell him. Tell him about this graveyard."

"G-graveyard?" asked Tails, his body shaking slightly. His eyes watered more.

Grimer and Tails did not notice. Clouds were forming.

"Back when I was the Overlord, I had to kill many people in order to set all my plans in motion. I remember each person's scream as I used my own claws to rip their throats out. But it was worth it for a chance to kill that hedgehog and his friends. This place, do you know its name?"

Tails shook his head.

"I dubbed this place 'Hang Castle'. This is where I hung all their skeletons out to dry, just for my amusement. Did you not feel it when you and Sonic ran through here? There _are_ ghosts here! Vengeful spirits, all with a horrible death and memories of family they'll never see again!"

Shadow, Sarsar, and Olric stood back to back to back, fending off the hordes of Metallix as best as they could. But they were bruised and battered and running on spare energy (for Olric, quite literally). They couldn't take much more. They needed a miracle soon.

"And you know what? I laughed at them! In fact, I still laugh at them! The misery is _funny_ to me. And all those fools dying out there right now; that's funny too!"

"But…" Tails eyes couldn't hold much more.

The clouds above blended with the night sky. But they couldn't hold much more…

"But what about me?"

Metal's voice froze. He knew what he wanted to say, but it wouldn't come out.

"You are just another pawn to him, little boy! In fact, you're less than a pawn. You're trash. Nothing but wasted DNA and genes. That's 'what about you'."

Thanks, Grimer. You just defeated yourself.

Tails closed his eyes, and the tears began to fall. "I wish you were lying…" whispered Tails, "I wish you were lying."

"Wish all you want, little boy. It won't do you any good."

Tails eyes shot open, though his normal eyes weren't there. Now, there was an ethereal yellow glow.

In an instant, Tails shot forward at Grimer and sliced at his chest with his Chaos Claws. Grimer fell back from the force, gasping.

Metal pulled his sword out in time to block Tails onslaught of attacks. "How-dare-you!" Tails yelled in between swipes. "That-sword-shouldn't-be-yours!"

Grimer coughed, surprised from the child's sudden outburst. But this was not a problem. He was still alive, and it wouldn't be long until-

Drip.

Grimer froze.

Drip.

Something wet hit his bald head. He touched it.

Plain water.

Drip.

Grimer looked up. Clouds had formed.

But that was impossible. It was not the rainy season. And they were in a dry area. Sure, this place wasn't far from Frog Forest, but that just made a rain shadow effect.

But those were rain clouds.

And it began to rain.

Drip.

Olric kicked back one that was coming in. He had nothing left. He was out of bullets.

Sarsar weakly punched at the chameleon. He had nothing left. He was out of Force.

Shadow chopped at the monkey's pressure point. He had nothing left. He was out of Chaos.

"It's been an honor fighting with you freakazoids!" Olric cried, his last worldly possession long since broken. "My name's Olric! Just wanted to say that."

"I always thought I'd die fighting zombies!" Shadow yelled. "This is pretty close!"

Sarsar panted.

Drip.

Drip.

Drip.

Somebody screamed. Someone else screamed. Then the tops of the three fighter's heads were wet.

And most everybody screamed.

Metal blocked all of Tails blows, not giving a thought to attacking. And he saw what he had been hoping for. He now knew Tails power.

Metal tossed his sword, sidestepped around another slice, and grabbed Tails in a forceful bear hug. Tails writhed, and he screamed, his tears still pouring. "Let me go, you liar! I'll… I'll…" and Tails openly sobbed.

"Tails…" Metal whispered. "Your wish came true."

Tails glowing eyes widened.

"I'm sorry I did this to you… but I was trapped. It was the only way I could escape him without dying. I couldn't leave you like that. I needed to make you cry."

"But why?" Tails growled viciously. "Why did I need to cry? How could that help you?"

"Because," said Metal, as he turned Tails towards the Metallix, "When you cry, the Earth cries with you…"

Tails gasped. The Metallix were tripping over each other to escape the rain. All of them. Every last Metallix. But they were too crazy. They couldn't get through the doors.

"Idiots," Olric grinned. "They should have gone for the good parts."

Some of them simply fell down from the shock. Some visibly sparked with electricity. Some even exploded.

But they all died.

Drip.

Drip.

Drip.

Grimer fell to his knees, his expression blank. "All my work… all my plans… all my power… gone to waste… from the rain…"

"This is your power," claimed Metal warmly as he stroked the fox's ears gently, setting him back down but still holding him in a hug. "You can change the world. You can make the sun shine. You can make it rain. You can make it snow."

"Were they so bad?" asked Tails, the tears still pouring.

"… They were," replied Metal, as the rain dripped down his false muzzle from the corner of his false eyes. "They hated the world. They hated all things beautiful. They wanted nothing but cold machines. And I couldn't change their minds."

"Some say death is beautiful," said Shadow as he watched them run around, trying to hide their mechanical parts. "Some say it's an art. I would agree were it the death that completes life. But this… this is not art…"

"No," agreed Olric, closing his eyes in prayer. "This is simply madness."

Sarsar tried to plug his nose from all the blood. His fur became soaked.

Silver sat up from the ground, confused as he was wet. "What happened? What did I miss?" Suddenly a severed head landed in his lap. His eyes rolled back and he fainted.

"Promise me you'll always be there," asked Tails as he held Metal's hand tightly. "I need to know… it hurts…"

"I promise you, Tails, that as long as you need to cry, I'll be there for you to cry on. When you need someone to talk to, you can always talk to me. When you need someone to play with, you can play with me. And all I need in return his your love… I love you Tails. I want you to know that."

"I… I love you too, Metal."

And the rain began to thin.

Grimer stepped up to Metal and Tails during this moment, breathing heavily through his nose.

"What do you want?" Metal venomously asked.

Grimer looked off to the side. "I am a man of my word, Metal. You defeated me."

An Enforcer, the robe he wore soaked to the point of ruin, stepped up to them.

"Take it off," commanded Grimer.

The Enforcer ripped off his robe. Tails gasped.

It was Metal Sonic as he used to be. The claws, the engine, the evil look, the skinny arms…

"Do you see this piece of work? It is perfect, isn't it? The ultimate machine. None can surpass it." Grimer gave an empty grin. "And I made it. All of it."

"What?" Metal nearly yelled.

"This design… it is my design. I made this machine."

"You… made more than me?"

Grimer snickered. "No. I made them." Grimer motioned to the Enforcers standing around in the mess of dead Metallix. "I didn't make you."

"Then you would know nothing of Figure .09?"

"I'm afraid not."

"But if you didn't make me, and you made the blueprints… how did Eggman get them? And why did you make them at all?"

Again, Grimer snickered, looking up through the rain. "Eggman had them because he made them."

Metal growled and stood up, not letting go of Tails hand. "No games, Grimer. Did you make the plans or did Eggman."

"We both did."

"Stop messing with him, Grimer," came a deep, commanding, mechanical voice. "You'll only make your death more gruesome."

Metal and Tails looked up at the sky where the voice had come from. Olric, Shadow( with Silver over his shoulder), and Sarsar looked up at who had said it as well, for they had come closer.

Above them was a floating throne made of steel. Upon this throne was another Metal Sonic. But this one was different than both of the ones already there. It was red where blue should have been; it was gold where silver should have been. It was bulkier than Metal, with large arms and thick legs. The stare this one gave was perhaps the most vile one yet. All around him he gave an air of kingly knowledge.

"Allow me to introduce myself," the new Metal Sonic said. "I am Emperor Metallix; the Perfect Metal Sonic."

-break-

I look back at this and want to punch myself. This is so ridiculous, and it goes from scene to scene, character to character in a very clunky manner. But the next chapter is one of my favorite really old ones.

Also, thanks to Kierany9 for being a beta-reader that actually beta reads! He's the first I've ever had that does what the job description implies; fixing the errors. It's so nice knowing that the glaring mistakes are gone.

Sincerely,  
>The Conflicted Writer<p> 


	41. Metal vs Metal round 5

A game is like a mirror that allows you to look at yourself.  
>~Robert Kiyosaki<p>

**Metal vs. Metal-lix: and the Law**

Metal stared at the strange robot that resembled him, unsure how to respond.

"Silence, creation," Grimer said half-heartedly. "I can mess with him as much as I want."

"But not as well as I can," the Metallix stated with a wave of his hand.

Suddenly two enforcers circled Grimer and wrapped him in some kind of cable so fast only Metal could see them do it.

"What are you doing!?" Grimer yelled as he struggled to break free. "I am your master! I made you!"

"And I will not forget that," the Metallix said as the two enforcers dragged him away, kicking and screaming profanities. "But, at the moment, you are useless. The situation and your assumptions cost us victory. But I digress…" The Metallix turned to Metal and the still glowing Tails. Somehow, Metal could tell he was smiling deviously within.

"So…" began Metal, "did I screw up the future again? Or is Grimer from the future and he found back-up blueprints?"

The Metallix laughed. The laugh was half-empty. Or was it half-full? "I understand from your adventures, and from studying your 'friend', how you would make a guess like that. But no. I am not you of the future, or a re-make. But, I am you." Metal stepped forward in order to speak against the Metallix's word play, but the Metallix held up a hand. "I assure you, I will tell you everything you desire to know."

"You…" panted Olric as he slowly came from behind, "You're the one *pant* Porker told me about."

The Metallix's throne turned to face Olric. "Ah, so you are the one who hid the pig from us a while ago… how appropriate that you be a variable in all this." Before anyone could move, two more enforcers circled Olric and wrapped him in wire. Olric struggled. Shadow and Sarsar moved to assist, but met the same outcome. All three of them had the sticky substance stuck to their mouths, making it so that they could not speak.

"It is foolhardy for you to try and break free. It is the most powerful non-mineral on the earth."

"Spider web?" asked Metal.

As the Metallix turned back around, Shadow and Sarsar were trapped as well. "You truly are my other, to be so intelligent."

"What do you mean by other?"

The Metallix chuckled darkly. "Tell me, Metal, how would you feel to know that this universe is not unique, that the universe holds no true worth in the grand scheme of things?"

Tails looked worried, but Metal said, "I would be unchanged and unfazed. It would not surprise me."

"Just the answer I was hoping for. You see, I am not a copy of you: like you, I am a copy of Sonic. I am you, from an alternate reality, from a pocket in reality like this one, and just as insignificant."

Metal said nothing.

"Ah, do not try to fool me. I can 'feel' it in you, the hunger for knowledge, the desire for an answer, no matter what the price. I can feel it in you as well as I can feel it in myself. You and I 'vibrate' on the same 'frequency', as you can guess. Your emotions are as open to me as mine are to you."

"Then why can't I feel anything?"

"Because I cannot feel."

"Well that's fair, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is rather unfortunate for you. So, for your feelings, and my understanding of the world from your point, I will give you information. Ask me ten questions, and I will answer truthfully."

"May I ask why without that counting as one of those questions?"

"No. But I won't count that one."

"Fine… how did you get here? Dimensional travel should be impossible without massive amounts of power."

"And right you are. I have, within me right now, the Anti-Omni-Viewer, the negative copy of a time traveling and universe shifting being that my Metallix created from the data of the true Omni-viewer, which we stole from The Chaotix of my world."

Metal thought for a moment before asking another question. "Are The Chaotix as different from my world's version as you are from me?"

"Now how can I possibly know that?"

"Because if I was you, and I apparently am, I would study my enemies very well before facing them."

"How true. No, they aren't. Surprisingly, the only major differences I can see between this world and mine is the lack of size in the planet, lack of characters Sonic is in contact with, and the existence of Santa Claus."

'O.O'

Tails facial reaction was similar.

"Yes, very 'surprised emote'. But, the Chaotix are essentially the same, even the same team. It was quite strange. In my dimension, a character called Fang the Sniper betrayed the Chaotix to us for a quick buck. He did the same thing here about two years ago. It's rather odd how similar they are. It makes one wonder where the boundaries between realities with a person lie." Again, the Metallix chuckled.

Metal groaned. "You can't make me fall into a philosophical state of depression. I've already gotten over being a copy." Sort of. "Who made you, and for what purpose?"

"This is where diversity begins with you and me. While Eggman made you, I was made by the charming green fellow you had the pleasure of meeting, though for the same purpose of defeating Sonic."

"Is your history with Sonic the same as mine?"

"Yes and no. You see, I was the first 'Metal Sonic' Grimer made. However, I was a failure physically. But I was a mind that Grimer could never hope to create again. So he made a new model." The Metallix motioned towards the Metal Sonic that still stood before them. "But he could not fit my super mind into a battle type droid, so he made me the 'remote control' for it. I controlled it through a meeting similar to yours with Sonic on Little Planet, though it is called Miracle Planet in my universe. And then Grimer made another similar to Mecha Sonic. Again, I controlled it. But by this time, I had the body you see before you, and a whole army of 'Perfect Metal Sonics' at my disposal. Grimer didn't see me as worthless."

"…"

"I can feel your jealousy. How sad that you still pine for the fool's acceptance. But I have not finished answering you. I was close to having total reign over time itself, thanks to the Anti-Omni-Viewer, by stopping Eggman's creation, thus stopping Sonic's creation. But Sonic… it is thanks to him that I now believe in destiny. He used the real Omni-Viewer, with the help of that accursed crocodile, to stop us. And so, with our forces destroyed, I was forced to flee to this world. Grimer came soon after he exacted his revenge on the hedgehog of our world." Another chuckle.

Metal paused for a moment. "You said Eggman was created. How so?"

"At first Eggman was Professor Kintobor, a kindly old man who wanted to make the world a better place. But an accident involving a rotten egg turned him into- any guesses?- Dr. Robotnik. It was not until after many failed attempts at killing Sonic that he called himself Eggman out of insanity."

Metal brought a hand to his chin. "Does this explanation hold any truth in this world?"

"You just wasted a question. Think for a moment. Kintobor is Robotnik backwards."

Metal slapped his face. Of course not. Eggman had a grandfather with the same last name.

"Although, I don't even know the Eggman of this world's past. But, as you just figured out, logic states no. As you know, though, you never know."

"The only thing we know for sure is that we know nothing… thus, we know something, that we know nothing, as thus do know something, meaning we don't know nothing, meaning we don't know that we know nothing. Yeah I get it. Bits and pieces."

"Yes, bits and pieces. Anything else?"

"Yes. How many other 'characters' from this world are there in your world that you know of?"

"Interesting. You wish to understand just how worthless everyone is."

"Thanks for that lovely paraphrase."

"But is it not true? You want know no how little diversity there is, and how much everyone's individuality actually matters."

Metal was silent.

"Most all that you know are there. Even Shadow, though his story is far different. You can find a Tails, a Knuckles, an Amy. You will not find, however, find a Mephiles, an Iblis, nor shall you find the Soleanna kingdom. Neither will you find the Babylon Rogues, nor Omega, and neither a Silver or Blaze. You have three questions left."

"What is your Shadow's story?"

"In my world, Eggman had assistance from a distant relative of Knuckles known as Dr. Zachary and some overly buff something or other, I never found him much of a threat, and they created Shadow from Sonic's data. He was quite superior. But, like your Shadow, he was not powerful until independent. In my opinion, mine is far more dark and depressing. This one's more versatile and capable of different actions other than sulking, most likely due to his past with the little girl. Recent study, however, has shown him even less depressing, and more likely to grin. You did this. Congratulations. You have two questions left."

So many questions to ask. What next? "Do you know how many other dimensions exist?"

"Many others. Limitless. There are dimensions with little to do with our, let's call it for discussion purposes, Concept Design. Some have absolutely nothing to do with it. I saw one that was quite strange. The world was exactly like one would picture cavemen living in. But, to defy this, they had cable T.V… made out of stone. Dinosaurs as household tools and construction equipment. But I'm getting off track. I know not how many exact worlds there are. You have one question left."

One question. What to ask? There was only one more Metal needed to know. "What is your Sonic like opposed to mine?"

"Ah, at last, a tough one. I am not sure how to answer. To be honest, there is little in personality difference. The only difference I can think of for sure is in age and in sense of duty. My Sonic seems a bit more social than yours. You have no questions left. It's now time to play some games."

"Games?"

"You see, in my travels to certain worlds and seeing myself compared to other 'Metal Sonics', I could always tell from a few days of analyses that I was the superior. But you… you may surpass me in many ways and be the superior. I wish to know for sure which one of us is the better in performance. I have determined three challenges with which to compete in order determine who's better."

Metal waited to see if the Metallix had more to say. Metal looked over at his three struggling friends, being guarded by enforcers. Or should he call them Metal Sonics? "The typical hostage situation I suppose?"

The Metallix nodded.

"Very well. I will play. But what if I win or lose?"

"In order to convince you to show me your full potential, their lives will be forfeit should you lose. Win, and your prize is not only freedom, but my Anti-Omni Viewer. Its power is so great that it may be able to assist you in getting what you most desire."

Tails gasped, and Metal did not move.

"I see you are interested. Follow me then. These decaying bodies are unpleasant to my sight." The Metallix's floating throne turned around and began to float

"Are you just going to… leave them here?" Tails asked nervously as his knees knocked together.

"It's not like anyone really cares" The Metallix's voice rang out. "Besides, I'm sure they'll fit in nicely with the other spirits. They all have something in common: Metal Sonic caused their deaths."

Tails swallowed and Metal's arms shook. "Is that true, Metal?" Tails asked, the rain pouring a little harder again.

Metal looked down at the ground. "I'm sorry Tails," Metal sighed sadly. "I was still Metal Sonic at the time." Metal began to walk after the Metallix, stepping over the several bodies. Tails followed behind, a bit more flinch-y in his movements as he made large steps. The enforcers pushed Shadow, Olric and Sarsar along. Silver was dragged along, too.

-break-

"Is this arena really necessary?" Metal asked in a 'you're crazy' kind of tone.

Currently, Metal and the Metallix were on a platform, sitting across from each other on a throne for each of them, that Tails recognized well from when Eggman (or was it Metal?) sent a huge attack force of Egg Pawns, Wizards, Bombers and the like at them. The crazy thing about it: There did not appear to be a visible ground anywhere, for a fog blocked it if it existed. This created a very realistic bottomless pit feeling. The floating rails (WTF?) around the arena had been equipped with seating so that Tails, Shadow, Sarsar, Olric, Silver, and a very aggravated looking Grimer could watch. Four of the six where still tied up with Metal Sonics behind them and their claws at the ready, though they could speak now. Silver was still out cold.

"Very," the Metallix answered. "I do not know why, though. I don't know why I wanted to conquer the universe either. I suppose that was useless in the long run. Maybe this is too. But here is where we will see who is superior."

"Not that I expect an answer, but why do you want to be superior? It is really not very fulfilling, believe me."

"And I do. I also have nothing else but my superiority. Maybe for you, who can feel love and hate, friends are enough. And I can truly say I understand that from being in your emotions. But I'm not you, spiritually, for that is the only word for it. I need this, or I shall delete myself."

"Well then, what is the first challenge?"

"The first challenge will be a test of wit and intelligence. A quiz, in essence. We will take turns giving each other riddles, scenarios, and questions in attempts to confuse the opponent. The rules: one question, instant failure. No using internet connections. In scenario's involving crimes, Shadow will be the name of the 'main character'-"

"Score, losers!"

"-Slim Shady or Sam Slug will be the names of the villains, or antagonists of interest. You may add victims as necessary. All other scenarios do not require specific names. Understand?"

"This is stupid," whispered Olric to no one in particular. "What's with these rules? They hardly seem like rules."

"Maybe to you," stated Tails as he starred intensely at the two robots, "but for a computer, these rules are basic."

"Who goes first?" asked Metal.

"Rock, Paper, Scissors," the Metallix replied. To this, all watching except the Metal Sonics (Silver doesn't count right now) looked moderately surprised. It seemed so… out of place, despite the fact that it made sense.

Once. Twice. Shoot. Metal had Scissors. The Metallix had Rock.

"Shadow arrived at the hospital to find that Sam Slug, who had been in a coma, died moments ago while under police custody. Officer Bob Slack, who was assigned to guard the door, swore that no one had entered the room since a nurse last checked in on him some two hours ago. Aside from an autopsy, Shadow ordered that the room Slug was in be searched for clues. The only unusual thing found was a waste can containing crumpled pieces of paper, a tongue depressor, a half eaten apple, and an empty cigarette pack. Everything else seemed normal. After the search, Shadow said that Slack may have been lying, and that someone had been in the room within the half hour. What caused Shadow to make this conclusion?"

The living spectators, including Grimer, looked puzzled.

Metal sighed. This was easy. "The apple was still white."

"Correct."

"The hell!" called Olric. "How was I supposed to know that?"

Metal began, "The day before yesterday, Suzie was nine years old. Next Year she will be twelve. How is this possible?"

Confusion from the spectators again.

"This statement can only be true on January first, when Suzie's birthday is on December thirty-first. The day before her birthday, she was nine, her birthday was when she became ten, and her next birthday will make her eleven. Therefore, next year, she will be twelve."

"Correct."

"How can it be that a man was once married to the sister of his widow?"

"The man married his wife's sister first."

"Correct."

"Sam Slug got out of jail and pushed his car to the St. James Place Hotel. When he arrived, he realized he was bankrupt. How can this disaster be explained?"

The Metallix paused for a moment longer than before. "… Slug was playing Monopoly. When he landed on St. James Place Hotel, he was wiped out."

"Correct. Losing your cool yet?"

"Not yet. A woman married ten different men from the city, yet she broke no laws. None of the men died, and she never divorced. How was this possible?"

"The woman was a minister."

"Correct."

"Shadow was on the Isle of Begile, an island where the natives always lie and the visitors always tell the truth. He was having lunch with a salesman and he needed to know if the salesman was a native or a visitor. Instead of asking the salesman directly, and still not having a solid answer, Shadow put the salesman to a little test. Shadow saw a woman at another table and said, 'Go ask that woman if she is a native or a visitor.' When the salesman asked her and returned he said, 'She says she is a visitor.' From this, does Shadow know for certain if the salesman is a native or a visitor?"

"Shadow knows the salesman is a visitor. Whether or not the woman is either, she will answer visitor. The salesman, however, said what she said, proving he told the truth, and proving him a visitor."

"Correct."

"There is a crime that if attempted is punishable. If committed, however, it is not punishable. What is this crime?"

Metal paused a moment longer than normal. "Suicide."

"Correct."

"How many times can you subtract 5 from 25?"

"Once. After you do, it's 20, and no longer 25."

"Correct."

"Is there a Fourth of July in England?"

"Why wouldn't there be?"

"Correct. Smart ass."

"Shut it. What is the one thing all wise man, regardless of politics or religion, agree is between Heaven and earth?"

"… The word 'and.'"

"Correct."

"A man and a woman have five children. Half of them are sons. How is this possible?"

It is at this time that Silver awoke, shaking his head in confusion. "Ugh, what happened?"

"A severed head fell on you," said Shadow. "Now shut up, we're trying to see if we're going to die."

Silver blinked and rubbed his eyes. "Where are we? What's going on?"

"To put it simply," began Grimer, obviously fascinated by the two mental combatants, "The red one is going to kill you unless the blue one beats him at riddles."

"What!?"

"I said shut up."

Metal started the next one. "Which would see the most in total darkness? A leopard, a bat, or an owl?"

"None. In _total _darkness, nothing can see."

"Correct."

"What the…! What kind of riddles are these? They go against common sense!" Olric exclaimed.

"Exactly," stated Grimer quietly. "I have truly underestimated their mental capacity for the two of them to be blazing through these questions as if it were common knowledge. They aren't restricted by conventional thoughts or feelings."

"Metal is…" whispered Tails so only he and perhaps the highly tuned Sarsar could hear.

The Metallix began. "The maker doesn't want it, the buyer doesn't use it, and the user never sees it. What is it?"

"A coffin."

"Correct."

"In Okmulgee, Oklahoma, you cannot take a picture of a man with a wooden leg. Why not?"

"…"

The Metallix paused.

"…"

A long pause compared to the rest of the time spent thinking.

"… You cannot take a picture of anything with a wooden leg. Wooden legs don't take pictures."

"Correct." Metal sounded smug this time.

"Four men sat to play,

They played all night 'till break of day.

They played for gold and not for fun

With separate scores for everyone.

When they came to square accounts,

They all had made quite fair amounts.

Can you the paradox explain?

If no one lost, how could all gain?"

"…"

Metal paused.

"…"

A truly long pause.

The living spectators held their breath.

"…"

The longest pause yet.

"… They are professional music players."

The Metallix paused before answering "Correct."

The sound of released air.

"Had enough?"

"Not yet. Name one eight letter word with kst in the middle, in the beginning, and at the end."

"…"

A pause.

"An Inkstand"

"Correct."

"What!"

"Often talked of, never seen,

Ever coming, never been,

Daily looked for, never here,

Still approaching, coming near.

Thousands for its visit wait

But, alas, for their fate,

Tho' they expect me to appear,

They will never find me here.

What am I?"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"I have you now."

"…"

"…"

"…"

"… Indeed you do. I do not have an answer."

Five spectators gasped.

"How amusing. The answer is: Tomorrow."

Metal's electronic eyes crossed. "D'oh…"

"And I have won," the Metallix began. "But we are not finished. That was only the first challenge. It tested knowledge and sense. You failed. The second challenge might be more in your favor. But I will battle fairly." As the Metallix said this, two Metal Sonics brought forth strange wires and attacked ends to his legs and arms, then opposite ends into his back.

Metal stood up and his throne floated away.

"You are the fool here," called Grimer. "You know you are not designed for this."

"For what?" asked Silver, though he already had a guess.

Another Metal Sonic brought a golden colored sword to the Metallix, identical to Metals, with a red jewel in its hilt. The Metallix, with a large amount of hissing and steaming, stood up and took the sword.

Metal unsheathed his blade and took a battle stance.

"My second test is of fighting. I wish to see which of us is superior in design and more adept to battle situations. I am merely a brain of sorts; but perhaps I can think my way out of this situation. I have already predicted your victory, though."

"Then why fight me if you know I'll win?"

"I know nothing, Other. But I can think all I want. I think you'll win. Yet I shall prove to be a threat, much like you did with the first challenge. You may use whatever tricks you like. Chaos Control, your arrows, your whips, whatever one of your seven swords. Defeat me any way you can. And I will fight with what I have. Fair warning: whatever you can do, I can do as well."

With this, The Metallix ran forward, making very heavy clanks with each step. Metal ran the situation through his head and predicted the perfect moment to swing his blade. At the right moment he swung.

But the Metallix vanished.

Metal was stunned for a moment, but not long enough to defend against a slash coming from the side. Metal turned and parried the blow, the Metallix sent back from the recoil. Before Metal could make another move, the Metallix warped again, putting some distance between them. Metal stopped and assessed the situation.

"Is this the Anti-Omni-Viewer's power?"

"It _is_ a time/space being."

Metal replaced the jewel in his sword with a purple stone, the sword becoming a purple dagger. "Can't hurt to ask." In a small flash, Metal disappeared.

The Metallix turned around, apparently expecting a surprise attack from the rear. There was nothing. He turned around a few times and looked in every direction, trying to guess where Metal would appear. He took a step forward and stopped. But he did not want to stop. His other leg would not move. The Metallix looked down. The wire attached to his leg had been cut. But how? Now he heard the sound of cutting. He looked at his other leg, surprised to see a miniature Metal slicing at the other leg wire. Mini-Metal finished cutting the wire and looked up to meet the Metallix's eyes. The Metallix sliced at Mini-Metal, who leaped back and in another flash changed back to normal size.

"I bet you can't do that," Metal said as he pointed his dagger at the Metallix.

The Metallix replied, "No, I cannot. I had no prior indication that you could reduce your size. Previous study showed me nothing of this."

Metal passed his dagger between his hands. "Surprisingly, there isn't much call for the ability to shrink. It makes you light, and I bet for a normal person it would give them super jumping abilities. For me, I'm lucky if I can find a crack to sneak into. But sneaking it is good for."

"You have made it so I cannot move my legs… but I am not beaten." The Metallix warped and appeared in front of Metal and swung his sword, Metal defending with his dagger. He warped again, and Metal defended, this time with his Yellow Shield, giving him enough time to replace his dagger's jewel with a red stone, making it a katana.

A shining arrow formed in Metal's other hand, no bow, and the next time the Metallix struck, Metal defended and he stabbed at the Metallix's arm wires with the arrow. The Metallix warped again before he could be hit.

Metal ducked under a swing and made a kick for the Metallix's legs, but the Metallix warped too quickly. Metal's blade began to glow red, his body along with it. To those watching, it appeared his speed had dramatically increased. To him, time seemed to slow down. He went at the Metallix, ready to strike, but the Metallix blocked, somehow, with his own sword. Metal fell back a bit, but he charged forward and struck again, but was blocked. Metal struck with all the speed and power he could muster, but the Metallix was able to keep up and defend just as quickly. Apparently the Metallix had a synthetic copy of _this_ ability.

"Is this all you have?" the Metallix said as their struggle continued. "I had expected you to have defeated me by now."

Metal leaped back, the two of them still in this hyper-mode of sorts. Metal could see that his whips would be essentially useless, and any arrows shot would be destroyed. Then Metal had an idea. It was totally untested and, quite possibly, highly dangerous… but, sooner or later, he wanted to test it out.

What would happen if Metal used his swords carbon copy Chaos Control _and_ a true Chaos Control? It was time to find out.

Metal formed his left hand into a fist, summoning the power in his emerald. With a heave that felt like an outward push starting from the emerald- the only thing he believed he could feel- he cried out the famous words, "Chaos Control!"

For Metal, everything froze. The Metallix, the spectators, even every single speck of dust in the air: nothing was moving. Though the Metallix was moving actually. He was moving at the speed Metal was originally expecting when he first activated his samurai's sword.

And the power… it was so invigorating. Everything in the world was at his command. Dare he think it… not even Sonic could move fast enough to escape Metal now. No one could. Even light… Metal could _see_ it moving. It was coming from the random flames. He wasn't sure how to describe how it was moving, but he could definitely _see_ the light moving. With this kind of power-

'Warning! Chaos Energy depleting rapidly!"

Whoops, Metal was gawking too long. Apparently the energy depleted just as fast. Move or lose. No thinking. No tricks. Cut the wires and be done with it.

The Metallix tipped over, surprised. He had expected Metal to simply look for an opening in his defenses and destroy his master connectors. This startled him.

The spectators were stunned. "What just happened there?" asked Olric as he leaned forward and looked around. "Where'd the Metal guy go?"

Shadow blinked. "He did Chaos Control inside another Chaos Control… I think."

"Is that possible?" asked Tails, obviously amazed by the prospect.

Metal reappeared, kneeling down and using his sword as a cane. "Bet you didn't see that coming," Metal said, sounding tired. By no means did he feel tired. But he knew he was.

Two Metal Sonic's and the Metallix's floating thrown came to him, the Metal Sonic's lifting him up to his thrown and taking the golden blade. "No, I did not. You performed as I believed you would: unpredictably. I cannot guess ahead in every situation, I see. You have proven to be superior in battle tactics and adaptability. I have one last challenge left. This one, I am quite confident, you will lose."

"And it is?"

"Chess."

"Chess?"

A Metal Sonic brought out an elegant chess board with all the pieces in their starting positions. It must have been most valuable. The white pieces where finely carved diamonds, and the black pieces were made of a natural, near indestructible metal. It was also covered in a layer of dust.

"Chess. The ultimate test of strategy, battle skill, variable adaptation, tactics, and mental power. This I saved for last, for I had predicted you would win at least one challenge. I have never once played. But I have studied all the strategies and possible moves. I am ready."

"Why is it covered in dust?"

"As I said, I have never played. Nor have I played with this. Two 'first times' at once."

The Metal Sonic that brought the board stayed and held it up for Metal and the Metallix. Metal took white, the Metallix took black.

"It seems appropriate, doesn't it?"

Metal went first. The pawn in front of his king. Two spaces.

"Are you really going to give him the Omni-Viewer if he wins?" called Grimer.

"Do you doubt me, Grimer?"

"That's not an answer. I asked if you would keep your deal."

"… I would." The pawn in front of his left rook. One space.

Grimer frowned deeply. How dare he…

Metal moved his bishop to a far corner.

The Metallix believed himself superior. He could see every possible move twenty moves in advance. There was no way Metal could win. His knight, two spaces up, one to the left.

Metal moved his queen far to the left, but stopped in the middle of the board.

The Metallix could see it know. A classic battle tactic with a possible sneak attack later. If he did not sneak attack, he would attack head on. The Metallix could defend against both of these moves and counter attack. Yes, he could see it. His queen would go first, in exchange for a rook. Then pawns would be taken, one by one, until-

"Check mate."

Silver snickered. "He got me with this one when I first played him."

The Metallix snapped his head down to the board. Metal had moved his queen so that the Metallix's king was trapped between all his own pieces and Metal's queen. The king could take the queen, but the bishop would still be there to attack the king. There was no piece to attack Metal queen other than the Metallix's king.

The Metallix could almost feel his psyche melting.

"Four moves…" the Metallix whispered, his commanding tone gone.

"You thought too far ahead, Metallix" claimed Metal with a nod. "Your mind was in the future, not paying attention to now. For this reason- and the fact that I used a dirty but fair trick- is why you lost."

"And why you are superior…" the Metallix said as numb as could be. The Metal Sonics cut the bindings that held Metal's friends. "I am the weaker version… It is distressing…"

Metal felt it. The twinge he always felt after defeating one of his 'brethren'. It was two feelings in one. First came hope. Then came guilt.

"Metallix, I am not better than you. And you are not better than me. Why must one of us be better?"

"Because, that is all machines crave," the Metallix said as he looked up into the sky. "To be the ultimate model, to be the best. You… you can do more than that. And that makes you better than I'll ever be."

"Metallix-"

The Metallix snapped his head back down. "Do not waste your words trying to change me. I am nothing but circuits and wires. Nothing but material and a false intelligence. Your intelligence is real. And I am no match." The Metallix's chest hissed and opened. The Metallix reached inside a pulled out a small cylinder. "This is the Anti-Omni-Viewer. With it, reality can be putty in your hands. With your knowledge- your wisdom- you will find out how to use it."

Metal stared at the container. This robot was perhaps the one most like himself. He couldn't let that slip away. "Metallix… come with us."

The Metallix said nothing.

"I know, maybe you don't feel, maybe you don't know right from wrong. But study me more. Create your own artificial emotions. Learn it yourself. Become better. I will teach you."

The Metallix looked down. "Take the Omni-Viewer and leave. You should know that when a computer has a goal, the only thing that can obstruct it is destruction, be it internal or physical. Take it and go. Or would you rather have your castle back?"

Metal wanted to say more. But the Metallix was right. There were no robots like him. It was strange. Metal had read stories of those stuck half in the living world and half in the dead. He wondered if it was anything like this. He could see the world… but he could not touch it nor could anyone else understand.

Grimer suddenly ran past them, grabbing the cylinder. The Metallix turned sharply. "Grimer, what are you doing?"

"I'm not about to let you give away our most valuable weapon!" Grimer cried. A portal suddenly opened. "If you will not obey me, creation, then you truly are obsolete."

"Grimer!" Olric cried as he ran towards the green skinned mad, his shredder ready to do some shredding. Grimer gasped and ran in the portal, followed close behind by Olric, and then by Metal. Shadow skated forward, but the portal closed just as he was about to go through it. Instead, Shadow nearly fell off the ledge to his doom. But instead, being the athletic person that he was, he bounced off the floating rails and back to the platform.

"Where did they go?" Shadow growled as he stepped up to the Metallix.

"They have entered, as you primitive peons call it, the Special Zone," the Metallix answered calmly

"The Special Zone?" gasped Tails. "But… how will they get out? How did they even get in?"

The Metallix turned to those remaining, his voice showing he was not pleased to be left with such unintelligence. "They have entered the proper way, activated by Grimer and the Anti-Omni-Viewer, and are now going through to main link between dimensions. You might call it the Special Zone. But it's official name, given by the high order of who knows or cares and defended by the Zone Cops, is The Cosmic Highway."

-break-

An apparently bottomless pit. Great.

Olric scrambled like crazy to retain his balance. But after running as fast as he could and coming to an abrupt halt right at the edge of a highway floating in the sky(?), that was difficult. Lucky for him, Metal grabbed his shirt and pulled him back.

"Holy cottage cheese," Olric sighed with relief. "That was a close one."

"Where are we?" Metal asked as he looked around.

"Well, if I had to make a guess, the portal Grimer opened led to the space between dimensions, and the road between them. I'd say this," Olric motioned at the highway they were on, "Is that road."

"That's stupid. They road between worlds wouldn't really be a road. What gives you that idea?"

Olric pointed up at a sign high above them that read 'Universe 1B5694'.

"… Okay, that is an odd sign, but that doesn't prove-"

"Wait a mo'. Where's Grimer?"

Metal activated his binocular vision and looked around the winding roads of where ever they were, and saw Grimer running at a surprising speed.

"Been a while since I went at full speed… how exciting." With a small boom, Metal blasted off down the floating highway, leaving Olric to run.

"Hey! You stupid… My jet pack is not fully charged!"

Metal had almost forgotten the fun that came with moving at this blistering speed. But there was a bonus this time. He was not moving at this ridicules speed to stop anyone but a villain. It was odd. The last time he had moved this fast was when he and Sonic faced down on a highway, not quite like this one.

And nothing became blurry. Thank Tails for awesome eye lenses.

Grimer turned his head around as he ran. He thought he heard something. Something like an engine designed for intense speed. He turned his head back around and pumped his legs as fast as he could. He had to find another dimension to hide in. Even if someone followed him, they'd never be able to figure out where he went.

Grimer looked back around, and Metal was catching up… fast(duh). Before he even knew it, Grimer had a sword to his neck.

"Nice try. But a highway is where I move the fastest. No obstructions, you know?"

Grimer frowned, his eyebrows furrowed. "This can't be. I was so close…"

"Freeze!" cried a familiar voice. Metal looked at the person who said that and was met with surprise. It appeared to be… Jet. But he was wearing strange armor. It made him look like a cop. And with him was storm. At least, it looked like Storm.

"Jet?" Metal asked as he looked them over. "Storm?"

"Put your hands where I can see them," 'Jet' said. Now Metal noticed he was carrying some kind of gun. A scan revealed that it wasn't the kind that his armor could deflect against.

Metal released Grimer and held his hands up in surrender, sheathing his sword first. Grimer did the same, holding up the canister.

"Good," 'Jet' said calmly. "We're just gonna go for a walk. You're going to have to be questioned by Zonic."

"Jet, what's going on?" Metal asked, very confused. "Weren't you… wait. You're a 'Jet' from an alternate reality?"

"The most alternate there is" Grimer whispered.

"Shut up, you," 'Jet' directed this at Grimer. "You're wanted for some serious zone hopping, bub. Messing with The Family, creatin' mass panic in your own zone. I'm gonna get a huge promotion for this. Cuff 'im, Ztorm."

"Seriously?" Metal almost laughed. "Ztorm? Zonic? Let me guess… You're Zet."

"You catch on quick. This must be one of his robots. Using technology from another zone. That's definitely another strike against you, Grimy."

"It's Grimer, you flea bitten bird."

"Hey, I had my flea bath. It's regulation you know."

The apparent Ztorm made to hand cuff Grimer, but was elbowed hard in the ribs by the offender. Grimer made a break for it, running like his life depended on it, which it might have. Metal made to follow.

"I said freeze!" Zet pointed his gun at Metal.

"But he's getting away!"

"That doesn't mean you should to."

"You'll never take me alive!" Grimer hollered, right before a bullet went through his spleen.

"Then I'll take you raw," Olric said as he waltzed up to Zet, Ztorm and Metal. He was covered in sweat. "Yeah, and thanks for waiting up, by the way."

"Sorry."

"Hey, you just shot my bonus!"

"Yeah, big whoop, what are you going to do, arrest me?" Hand cuffs were placed on his flesh and Metal hands.

"Yes" said Ztorm plainly.

"Pfft, like cuffs can stop me." Olric pulled his hands apart. The cuffs did not break. "Hold on, give me a minute." Another try and another failure.

"Are ya done?" Zet asked.

Olric released a held breath. "Yeah *pant* that's all I got."

"Do I have to put cuffs on you?" Zet directed this at Metal.

"I am cooperative with the law, sir."

"Good answer."

A great deal of walking later, the two cops had brought their suspects to a very broken looking city/factory. For some reason, the three non-cops were floating sideways. Grimer was still alive.

"Why are we floating sideways?" Olric asked whilst being a little nauseous.

"We are currently in a dimension that is in a ninety degree angle compared to our universe," Metal said as he looked around, a little disorientated.

"Oh. That makes sense."

"It does? I was just saying stuff."

"Shut up," Zet said. "We need to meet Zonic. I know he's around here somewhere…"

"Stop him!" a voice that sounded like Sonic's called out. "Stop Scourge!"

Everyone looked to see a green hedgehog, who was also floating/running sideways, running from a Sonic dressed as a cop, and Sonic.

Sonic! What was he doing here…?

That's odd…

Metal felt no hate.

The normal looking Sonic, who was not floating sideways, spin dashed at the green hedgehog that nimbly dodged. The Sonic in armor (Metal took a guess: Zonic) ran with superb speed towards the green hedgehog (Metal guessed Scourge), and made for a kick. Scourge dodged again.

Metal, on an impulse, ignited his engine and, defying this dimension's physics, raced after Scourge.

Scourge looked behind him. It appeared he was in the clear. If he could make it to the highway, he could get back to his world, and continue his rule. This time, he wouldn't be stupid with the Anarchy Beryl. This time-

Punch in the face!

Scourge was knocked back, his face swelling. He spit out a tooth. "Who the heck…"

Metal looked at Scourge. Yes, he could see he made the right decision. Just looking at him, Metal could see the crazed desire for destruction. "I am Metal," Metal said heroically. "And you must be Scourge."

"Alright! You got him!" Sonic said as he ran up to the sideways Metal and Scourge.

Zonic pulled out some hand cuffs and snapped them on Scourges wrists. "Thanks for that," Zonic said coolly. "This guy's really dangerous."

Metal looked at Sonic, who looked back in return. There was no hate. No harsh words. Just a guy who looked appreciative.

"So, who are you?" asked Sonic with earnest interest. "You Metal Zonic? I would a' thought they'd make you look more like a Zone Cop."

Zonic, for the first time it seemed, took a good look at Metal. "He's not from the No Zone. He's from another Zone."

"Yeah, about that…" began Metal.

"Hold up!" cried Zet as he ran up to them along with Ztorm who was pulling Olric and Grimer along with some difficulty. "I told you to stay put."

"Grimer!" Zonic cried when he noticed him.

"Hello again, Zonic," Grimer greeted with distain.

"We caught him and his robot on the highway having a tussle, Sir. This robot arm guy shot Grimer, interfering with police work."

"You idiot" Zonic said forcefully, pointing a finger at Zet. "Use your head. Why would they be fighting if Grimer made it? Robots that betray their masters are Robotnik's field."

"But… um… I did catch Grimer."

"That you did. Good work, then. Now," Zonic turned to Metal and Olric, "to put it simple, this is the No Zone. The base of operations for the protectors of the universes. I'm Zonic. Who are you two?"

"Metal… Sonic." No point in hiding information from a cop, was there?

"Olric. Just a normal guy in a not so average situation."

Sonic whistled. "Metal Sonic, huh? Nice outfit. You from a backwards world where I'm evil and you're the hero?"

Metal thought about that for a moment. "Not exactly…"

Scourge huffed for no reason.

"Hold on," said Zonic. "You, Olric, was it? Where did you get that arm?"

Olric looked back at his still cuffed hands. "A friend gave it to me."

"The way it vibrates… it's not on the same frequency as you. Why is that?"

Grimer grinned evilly. "Oh, yes, those are parts your Porker friend gave you, aren't they?"

Olric shot a death glare at Grimer.

"And Porker is from my world as well. To add to this, he is a threat. He killed many people with those parts."

"Wait a second," Metal practically yelled. "It was in self defense."

"No it wasn't," admitted Olric as he looked at the ground. "I started the fighting. And I was trying to find the most gruesome way possible to kill them. To impose fear." Olric grinned darkly. "Not something a hero would do."

"In that case," began Zonic, "You're under arrest, too. Zet, Ztorm, take them all to holding block 7-H. Scourge too. I'll deal with them later. And make sure the Anti-Omni-Viewer gets put in the evidence case."

No… so close…

"You can't do this!" Metal yelled as he pulled out his sword. The cops pulled out their guns. "He's my friend, and he saved me!"

"Metal-man," began Olric sadly as Zet grabbed his shoulder, "I'm no hero. Do you think flying is fun? Well, my idea of fun is slicing someone in half and dancing in their blood. Doesn't that sound appealing? I know it's wrong, but I hunt for that kind of stuff."

Metal took a step back. "Why?"

"Because…" Zet and Ztorm began to lead them away, "I'm bored."

"Olric…" Metal reached out his hand pathetically.

"Man, I hate being a side character," Sonic said with a sneer. "I have absolutely no idea what's going on."

"Thanks for your help," said Zonic to Metal. "I'm sorry about your friend. But you need to go back to your Zone now"

"Hold on," said Sonic. "Before you do that, you didn't answer me. When are you going to take Eggman away?"

"I told you, Sonic. I can't. Your Zone needs a Robotnik for you to fight for it to remain stable. His past is essentially the same, up to a point. There's nothing I can do."

"And here I thought you guys were the ones in charge."

"I don't have time for this. We're already under attack from some loony called Dr. Nega, and now I need to send an evac team to clean up any mess Grimer made in this guy's universe. Can you go back to the Prime Zone peacefully? Please?"

"Using please? That's a new one. Fine, I'll go. But, I want to walk with Metal-me here."

Metal was so fascinated by their conversation that he had almost forgotten he was there.

"Fine. Zector and Zespio will take you back as far as they can. There's no harm in the robot tagging along." With that, Zonic broke in to a run and went away.

"Why was he talking as if I wasn't here?" asked Metal.

"Don't pay attention to that stuck up. He only thinks me and my world are important 'cause it's the Prime Zone. Come on, we better get out of here before they find a reason to arrest you too."

After Zector and Zespio (who seemed smarter that the one's Metal actually knew) left them ("This is as far as we can take you. Sorry about that") and returning to normal perspective, Sonic and Metal were left to walk by themselves. Metal was silent, unsure of what to say. He looked like Sonic. He sounded like Sonic. He even had the same speech pattern. Creepy. But it did not _feel_ like Sonic, if that made sense.

"So, are you always so chipper?" Sonic asked sarcastically after the long time without noise.

Metal shook his head. He had grown accustomed, one way or another, to Sonic's attitude. "Is there a Metal Sonic in your world?"

"Yeah."

"Do you hate him and does he hate you?"

Sonic raised a brow. To Metal's surprise, he seemed to take the question seriously. "No, not hate. He's a robot made by Robuttnik, designed to kill me. But I don't hate him. And I don't think he hates me. He's just a robot. Why? What's it like in your world."

Metal gave a heavy sigh. "In my world, I am that Metal Sonic. I was designed by Robotnik as well for the same purpose. In my world, it started like your world is. I was a robot. Nothing more. Sonic was a hero. Nothing less. But, somewhere, I began to hate him. When I could hate, I could love. When I started loving, you… he started to hate. He's out to get me."

"Heavy stuff. So, I'm a hero in your world, right? I wonder why I'm doing that… am I afraid you'll take my place?"

"You have mentioned it a few times."

"Maybe I'm just scared."

"But a scared animal wouldn't be able to use the tactics you've used. You've teamed up with Eggman, worked with a sleeker Metal Sonic, tricked a hedgehog from the future, and turned yourself into a hedgewolf. Even stranger, these things aren't you that I know. They seem like someone else's ideas."

"I did all that?"

"Yes."

"I might know why I'm doing it. But first, is that future hedgehog named Silver?"

"Yeah."

"I met him in my world. He came to the past to kill me."

"Did he call you the Iblis Trigger?"

"No."

"Hmm…"

"What's he like, in case I meet him again?"

"I wonder if my Sonic is as smart as you. I'm not sure he would have asked for a future reference. Silver's intelligent, but hard headed. He's also easily influenced by instant gratification. The best way to hit him is to wait until he's got something else grabbing his mind's attention."

Sonic smiled appreciatively. "Thanks."

"What was that thing Zonic was saying about you being from the Prime Zone?"

"I'm, like, the main Sonic or something. _The_ Sonic. My Zone is the Prime Zone. I guess that means the original. I don't know if it's better or anything. With these guys around," Sonic pointed a thumb behind them, "I can't exactly go poking around to find out."

"And what was that about taking Eggman away?"

"It's a long story. We could move at the speed of a frozen snail and we wouldn't even be half done by the time we have to split up. Let's just say Robotnik Prime died, and Eggman is his replacement."

"Fascinating…"

"Yeah, Tails gets worked up every time I tell him about it. He'll be all over me about this trip the second I get back." Sonic suddenly looked worried. "Gee, what about Tails? Is he okay in your world?"

"Yes… but you're not the one taking care of him. Our makeshift family is at the moment."

"Family?"

"I've brought together, despite the odds, all of your worst rivals and most of your random acquaintances together and we're a team. Knights of Chaos. That's what everyone calls us. But you're not in the group. I bet it would be nice if you were. By the way, are there Chaos Emeralds in your world?"

"Better than that. There's a set for every planet out there. But, let me tell you, if you think collecting seven is a pain in the butt, try collecting one-hundred, then talk to me about about annoying. Okay, I didn't collect them. Some rogue computer program of Eggman's did. A.D.A.M. He was a tough one."

Metal sparked. A.D.A.M… that sounded… familiar.

"You okay, tin me?"

"Yes… I think so. That name… reminds me of something. But what… I'm sorry, but would you not call me you?"

"You want to be your own person right" Sonic said with a smile.

Metal paused, surprised by Sonic's response. "Yes."

"I understand."

"You do?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't- oh, right."

"You said you had an idea as to your strange behavior?"

"Yeah. I don't have anything to hide, but if I did, I'd probably be nuts enough to do that stuff. But it would have to be big. Really big. Something that could doom my existence. I'm always pulling of even crazier stunts when my rep is on the line. You must have some secret that I'm hiding. That's all I can figure."

"Sonic… why are you helping me with this?"

"It's how I roll. The way I see it, you give some light vibes out to someone, they'll pass it on to ten people, so on and so forth, until it comes back at you with lots of good luck mojo. Corny it is, but it's worked so far."

"I guess this is where we separate" said Metal as they came to a fork in the road.

"Yep. We'll probably never see each other again. But we have to keep moving forward."

"But aren't we technically going back to where we came from?"

"Yeah, you keep messing up moments, see how long it'll take before you get booted out of the friend circle. Later." With that, Sonic blasted off down the road.

And now Metal was alone to his thoughts. It had been a strange day. It seemed to go by rather quickly. If he had made a list of things he would thought would happen to him with the next week a few days ago, becoming a god, facing an evil twin, and traveling between dimensions wouldn't have even made it on the top thirty.

But he walked forward. To wherever his road would lead him.

-Author's Note-

This was always one of my favorite chapters, and it's quite hard to tell you why. Something about the interaction between the Metallix and Metal always related personally to me. Really, the conflict is almost the same battle that goes on in my head every time I have to make a decision.

I don't know if I've ever mentioned this, but Metal is sort of an expy of myself. Many of his quirks and feelings are my own. Even when I was younger, I want to give Tails a father. Maybe because I know what it was like to not have one, though in a different way than Tails understands. Aside from that, though, I had this box full of riddles at some point at which I was quite good at. That one riddle Metal failed, though, is one of the few I could not solve the first time through.

Now, I'm sure a lot of you are absolutely confused as to what happens _after_ Metal beats the Metallix, and how this plays into the story. The characters shown are from the comics, of which there are two big and important ones for Sonic history. There are the Archie Sonic comics, and then there's one titled _Sonic the Comic_, of which Grimer and the Metallix are from, and also a relevant plot point relating to Sonic.

At the time of this being written, this story was synced up with a particular issue of the Archie comic in which these events (minus Metal, Grimer, Olric, and two of the cops) happened. You don't need to know everything, just smile and nod as I go about my business. These are merely references, though they do advance the plot in a few ways and answer some questions you will no doubt have at the end of the story.

The other Comic is probably the most grisly of anything officially Sonic, but even then it's not official. The comic was technically discontinued a while ago, but the artists kept making it and posting it online. At the time of this being written, they hadn't updated for a long time and it was left with Grimer having completely ruined Sonic's life. They've updated passed that now, but my story still hasn't been ret conned, so yay for that. By the way, a few things Fang said a while back had to do with Sonic the Comic, in case you were curious. If you go looking for it the comic, though, be warned: their layout is not friendly to new readers.

I'm sure you're wondering what this has to do with anything. Trust me; everything leads to something in this story. While the Zone Cops don't appear again in this story, the No Zone leads to an… interesting character later.

Sincerely,  
>The Conflicted Writer<p> 


	42. NiGHTS of Dreams: The Second

"We are such stuff as dreams are made on, and our little life is rounded with a sleep."  
>― William Shakespeare, <em>The Tempest<em>

**NiGHTS of Dreams: The Second**

Metal was sitting still. It was not a pleasant thing for him, for some reason.

It turned out that he and his friends had to wait around for a while. Why? They were now witnesses to a 'dimensional crime'. If they could have sent an evac team, why couldn't they take him home?

In any case, they weren't going anywhere for a while. To make it last even longer, someone in the Zone Cop ranks discovered that Blaze, Silver, Iblis, and Mephiles were technically from another dimension/time zone. So they were being questioned thoroughly. It didn't really help when they caught Mephiles possibly eating the souls of the quote/un-quote 'not very nice'.

Before they were taken away for questioning, Blaze gave Metal a large envelope. It was from Professor Pickle. Inside it was a note, a book, and a scroll.

_Dear Metal,_

_I hope Tails is doing well. As I write this, I'm stuck in my room, fretting over Tails's well being. I'm worried about his relationship with Sonic. When he was at my university, he would often confide in me his stories of adventuring. I couldn't help but notice that it was quite a while before I had the chance to meet Sonic. To make it worse, Tails told me they found each other that time because Sonic was on a world saving quest_.

Poor Pickle. Completely oblivious to the true situation.

_I tried my best to comfort him, but no one can replace an older brother. This is something that I hope you understand better than anyone._

Most indubitably.

_So, I must ask of you to take care of him, and all your new friends, with kindness._

_I have enclosed a book and marked a chapter you may find interesting. It is entitled 'What is the Mind?' though it may help you understand what makes you. I hope you find it interesting. I had a feeling that you would appreciate it. The scroll… well, if you're ever lost in any way, the things the scroll has on it may be helpful._

_Sincerely,  
>Pickle<em>

The book had an interesting title. _Philosophy Rocks_, by Stephen Law. Before going to the bookmarked chapter, Metal skimmed through the book and found that it was the eight most frequently asked questions on reality. For example: What is Real, Chapter One, Should I Eat Meat, Chapter Two, and the bookmarked one, What is the Mind, Chapter Seven. The whole book was filled with arguments. The writer did not choose a single side, though he admitted he could not defend eating meat and did it anyway. It gave straight rebuttals from two sides of an argument.

Metal was intrigued. He knew could enjoy arguing with himself and not feel dumb. The current chapter dealt with the mind, and argued that a person can change, and may no longer be the same person. A three year old and an old lady were given as an example. They shared the same aging body, but obviously they had different thoughts. The question: were they the same, or were they different? Metal could argue this fact for ages and come no closer to an answer.

Was Metal still the same person he was when he was a destroyer? There were facts that supported both sides. He still had… urges. But Metal Sonic would never have been so kind to people originally. Was he the same person as Metal Sonic, or was Metal a new person? Were they- Metal and Metal Sonic- a part of the same person? Was he actually made of different people?

Metal could not decide. There was no certainty with such an argument. He needed more facts.

The scroll, Metal was surprised to find, was a Gaia Manuscript. It gave all the locations of all the temples, and mentioned their supposed power. It is said that the temples are the perfect refuge for anyone willing to serve the earth. The temples hide the secret to true power. Should there ever be too great a shadow, the temples can bring balance to your heart. Of course, Metal had to translate it himself. Pickle, that sly dog.

The temples could be used to train Tails. After all, Tails was the apparent Harmony bringer. What better Earth Servant could Gaia ask for?

That's another strange thing, Metal noticed. In Greek stories, Gaia was one person, born from the yawning Void of Chaos. Who were Light and Dark Gaia, in truth? Another question that will never have an answer, most likely.

Of course, Metal wasn't completely thinking of the other people. Perhaps… Metal could use the temples to increase the power of the Chaos Emeralds. That could be another step towards his ultimate goal.

And suddenly, Metal consciousness began to fade. He tried to remain 'awake', but his thoughts began to swim.

Arguments.

Chaos.

Power.

Void.

Gods.

Uncertainty.

Life.

Nothing.

And he suddenly remembered. There was a friend he had not told his story to.

-break-

"The next thing I know, I'm made the forced god of a cult group that wants to turn the whole world into machines."

"Oh my! How did you get out of that one?"

"I don't really like how I did it. You see, there was no way out. I had to act the part or be destroyed. But, by acting the part, I made a friend of mine cry. He didn't know it at the time, but my friend- Tails- can control the weather around him and I believe other such things. When he cried, it began to rain. And all the robot people, for they had cheap parts that were not water proof, shorted out."

"Tails…" NiGHTS blinked and shook it off. "What's 'shorting out?"

"It happens when… um… okay, have you seen lightning before?"

"Yeah, in the storms Wizeman makes."

"In my world, lightning can be placed in small containers or large ones, and these containers power metal things. If the container, or a badly protected metal thing, gets wet, the lightning is set free and harms the metal thing and anyone close by."

"That sounds…"

"Painful?" Metal offered with a grin.

"Yeah, that's it."

"Well, anyway, after they all shorted out, a red version of me from a parallel world came up and wanted to fight with me to prove who's better."

"You won, right?"

"Well, I won two thirds. He beat me at riddles."

"Riddles? A smart guy like you?"

"Is that sarcasm I detect?"

"Mayhap. Let me give you one. Let's say a plane crashes right on the border between two countries. It's right in the middle, and no one was spared from getting hurt. In what country do you bury the survivors?"

"Pfft. That's easy. You don't bury survivors."

"Not bad."

"Do you even know what a plane is, NiGHTS?"

"It's a flying thing made of metal."

"How do you know that if you don't know what shorting out is?"

NiGHTS opened his/her mouth to respond, but stopped. NiGHTS big eyes looked down in thought and he/she crossed his/her. "You know… I don't know. I know what a roller coaster is, and a dolphin, and a rocket, and even a dragon. But I never thought as to why I know them, or how I came to know. No one who ever came here ever told me, and I've never been in the waking world to find out. I just know what they are."

Metal frowned and scratched his chin. "That is peculiar. Could Wizeman have given you this information?"

"I'm… not sure..." NiGHTS perked up. "Enough of that. Come on, do you want to explore a new Nightopia tonight?"

Metal chuckled and scratched his head. NiGHTS wasn't one to stay even the slightest bit sad for very long. He/she was so… innocent. How could Wizeman have made this carefree creature if he is the source of all things dark and despairing? A riddle if there ever was one. "I'd like to, NiGHTS. But we should really wait until Owl comes back and see if he can tell me what my next tests are. And what about that little fairy thing, Lumina? Won't she have something to say to me?"

Nights rolled his/her eyes and gave a phony frown. "Lumina is even more chipper than me. And you know how annoying I am." Metal chuckled again. "And Owl's just a mood killer. Come on, while they aren't looking. You know you want to."

"Well, of course I _want_ to. But I'm a little more for waiting than you are."

"Fine." NiGHTS motioned for two chairs that mysteriously appeared from nowhere, one in particular. "Then have a seat. You can tell me the rest of your story."

Metal gave a crooked scowl. "Yeah, uh huh, I don't think so. I'm not falling for that one." Metal moved towards that chair that NiGHTS did not point to. "I'll sit in this one." Metal sat down and a gaseous sound that sounded like air being squeezed through a tight hole came forth. "Yes, of course. I really should have seen that coming."

"What are you talking about? The whoopee cushion was in this chair." NiGHTS held up the said air filled joke utensil.

Metal's ears folded over and he felt the blood rush to his cheeks.

NiGHTS merry laugh came out in full force, and he/she actually fell to the ground with tears streaming down his/her face as NiGHTS clutched his/her sides.

For once Metal did not feel like laughing with NiGHTS, and would rather be small right now. Very small. Maybe small enough to crawl under a rock.

"Neh, ha, ha. Little NiGHTS, I see you are enjoying yourself and your new company. Mind if I join in on the merriment?"

NiGHTS, whose laughter had only died down a little, floated up and turned to the owner of this new voice. Metal looked over as well, and was met by a strange creature.

For all practical purposes, it looked something like NiGHTS. But only it's hands, feet, and head. Actually, that's all it was. Hands, feet, and a head. And a cloak. The clothing it wore, gloves, shoes, the cloak, and a hat, was all primarily an orange-yellow color, splotched with red here and there. The hat it wore, like NiGHTS and Reala, had two spike like tendrils, but they curved forward, in the opposite direction of NiGHTS's.

The strangest thing about these floating clothes is that it had no face, yet had eyes and a very toothy, grinning mouth. It was like a shadow had possessed a bunch of articles of clothing. In its long fingers it held a hand of cards.

"Well, Jackal, I thought I'd never see you again," NiGHTS claimed, his/her attitude never turning sour.

Jackal gave an eerie chuckle. "I bet you did. But you should know that Wizeman never throws away good material." Jackal looked at Metal and Metal starred back. Jackal took off his hat (which took his eyes and mouth with it) and gave a little bow. "You must be the Metal I was sent for."

Metal jumped up and stood in a battle ready position, pulling out his personae. "You and about twenty other people have come out to get me. What makes you think you'll fare any better?"

NiGHTS prepared him/herself for battle as well. "Don't worry, Metaru, Jackal might be a level three Nightmaren, but he's a pushover."

Jackal put his hat/head back where his shoulders could have been and starred at his hand of cards. He took one and moved it to another spot in his hand. "Hmm… the old tree and the new night… and a black Pegasus stands between them. But the horse stands against a Knight. And the Knight is accompanied by the sky and sun and shadow… what could it mean? What, oh what, could it be…"

Metal, losing all hostile feelings, walked over to Jackal. Jackal showed Metal the cards.

"Tarot cards?"

"Careful, Metaru. He might be trying to trick you."

"Tricks are reserved for thieves and magicians, NiGHTS. I am neither." Jackal held the cards out, and Metal took them.

"I don't exactly believe that the future can be predicted," Metal said as he shoved the cards into a neat stack and handed them back.

Jackal chuckled and placed the cards in his cloak. "Neither do I. Tarot cards are not for predicting the future. And yet, they are. They do not tell what will happen, but they tell what will happen. Do you understand?"

"No."

"Goody then! We're off to a great start!"

"Jackal," NiGHTS said cautiously. "Why are you here? If you want a fight-"

"No fighting for me!" Jackal said excitedly as he waved his hand, accidentally bashing Metal in the nose. "I am here on special request, and not by Wizeman! As a matter of the utmost fact, Wizeman was about to tear me apart and use my bits to make a better Nightmaren… or armor for Reala. Can't remember which. Whatever. I was saved by the Queen of Dreams herself, and in return, I am to guide the porcupine through his next tests."

"I'm a hedgehog."

"No, you're a collection of circuits and wires possessing a non organic body that has a soul, making you a living statue. But, seeing as you have no true species yet, and I like having fun at other people's expense, I will call you a porcupine, porcupine."

"No way," said NiGHTS as he/she floated defensively in front of Metal. "I wouldn't trust you to take care of a rock."

"If I may," said Metal as he gently pushed NiGHTS aside, "I would like to know where Owl is. Let's see what he has to say."

As if on cue, which as this was a dream it probably was, Owl flapped tiredly while huffing and puffing.

"Would you mind (huff) slowing (huff) down a little bit!"

"Yes. Yes I would."

Owl sighed. "Well… at least an all out brawl hasn't taken place while I wasn't looking."

"Who is this person, Owl?" Metal asked, stepping towards Owl's current perch. "I'm guessing he's a Nightmaren. But he claims to have been sent by the Queen of Dreams."

Owl nodded. "It is true that this one is a Nightmaren. Have you been properly introduced yet?"

"He's Metaru," Jackal claimed, brooding over his Tarot cards still.

"He/it's Jackal," said Metal, not quite sure if he should try to be sarcastic.

"I'm NiGHTS," NiGHTS said with a bow.

Owl rolled his eyes while Metal chuckled. "Jackal was once an enemy of NiGHTS, though he was not trusted too well by Wiseman. Once NiGHTS defeated Jackal, Wizeman almost took Jackal apart."

"I told him that."

"The Queen of Dreams, who we have revealed as Illumina , saved Jackal out of kindness. Jackal, for whatever reason, swore a single favor to the Queen, and now he has been asked it. He will help you and guide you through your next tests. Of course, you will not know what they are. And you must do this without NiGHTS, I'm afraid."

NiGHTS looked disappointed. "Aww, really? I was looking forward to going into Metaru's next Nightopia. Please?" NiGHTS pulled off the famous puppy dog eyes.

Jackal shoved NiGHTS aside. "Sorry, dear sibling, but you can't."

"No fair!" NiGHTS shouted as he/she tried to tackle Jackal, but was held but by a single hand. "I met him first! He's my friend."

"As if behaving like that will get you on board the fun train," Jackal smiled evilly.

Metal, though unsure of the cloak thing's intent, laughed slightly. "You're just plain mean, Jackal."

"Aren't I just?"

"Besides, NiGHTS," Owl interrupted, "I believe you have other friends to play with."

NiGHTS stopped trying to hit Jackal and sighed. "Yes, I know." NiGHTS backed off.

"Now then," Jackal held a hand out to Metal, "I'll need your personae. You are forbidden to use it during our adventure."

Metal pulled out his mask and looked at it almost lovingly. "But… this is me. I can't be me without it."

Before anything else could be said, Owl zipped by and grabbed Metal's personae.

"Hey!"

"I'm sorry, Metal, but Illumina ordered it."

Jackal turned to Owl and almost appeared offended. "What's the matter? If I have the mask, I can give it to him if he needs it. You don't trust me?"

"Not with a rock, Jackal."

"Then you are wise!" Jackal dramatically turned around and floated to the black door. "Are you coming, Metaru? Or is it Metal? Well, whatever. Come porcupine. We have a world to explore!" Jackal dramatically motioned at the shining black door.

Metal gave a questioning look at Owl, who shrugged in response. Metal stepped up to the door, which automatically opened, spilling a bright light forth, and Metal was met with the sensation of falling.

-break-

It was not what Metal had been expecting.

It was not bright and colorful, like dreams tended to be. Everywhere was dark and gray, the only color being that of a strange fountain that sputtered glowing green liquid, and some of the clothing the residents wore. The town he was in, if it was indeed a town, had buildings that were twisted a deformed in an almost demonic way, making everything scary looking. It, at first glance, didn't appear to be a dream. Metal could almost call it a nightmare.

But the characters that wondered around are what convinced him that this was indeed a dream. Why? None of them were acting particularly scary. Despite that fact that they consisted of nightmare creatures like witches, ogres, wolfs, mummies, possible zombies, and even the occasional clown on a unicycle, they all looked like they were having fun. Not vile despicable fun, just fun. They were trying to scare each other as well as they could. At least, that's what it looked like from the top of Metal's mansion.

Jackal sighed in a bored way, shuffling his deck of Tarot cards thoroughly. "Are we going to stay up here all night, porcupine, or are we going to get going any time soon? I thought we'd be out causing some mayhem about now, perhaps destroying some form of evil, mayhap?"

Metal kept his eyes focuses as a clown tried to scare what looked like Shadow the Hedgehog. A lot of people seemed intent on scaring Shadow. So far, none had succeeded. And Shadow was doing _something_ to cause people to fall back to the ground, most likely scaring them instead. It was hard to see without his binocular vision.

_You never know what you have until it's gone._

"I need to know the rules. Everything has rules Jackal. Of course, even something with its own rules doesn't have to obey." Metal turned around. "I do it all the time. But, everything has rules. It helps to know what they are, even if no one else does."

"_Are_ we going to stay up here much longer?"

"No, I'm done. The people here scare each other for fun. Not sure what that means to me as a whole, but that's what they do. I need to find a way to do that. But first, I'll need a costume…"

Jackal's eye's shot wide open as Metal advanced on him. "Oh, chicken fingers…"

Metal walked down the impossibly long spiral staircase, his steps muffled by the oversized socks he wore.

"I hope you know that I hate you," Jackal somehow said.

Metal adjusted the hat he had stuffed his quills into and wiggled his finders in his new colorful gloves. "Yes, I know that. But, the way I see it, this works as well as dualizing." Metal then made sure his new cloak was securely tied on and hid his body.

"I hate that as much as I hate you."

"I'm not fond of being two people in one body, either. But my personae is gone and I need something scary to wear. I'm sure this will be good enough."

"Not sure if I should be insulted or not that you don't think I'm scary."

"Just shut up and give me a hint, oh guide. Is there anything I should do here before we go outside?"

"Ah, there is. Just listen and watch. You'll see it."

Watch… let's see. Now that Metal looked, there were flowers here and there. And they were lively and full of color. Flowers…

What could flowers mean?

"Metal," a gentle voice called a few more floors down. Metal recognized that voice.

Metal quickened his trek down the stairs, scarcely believing it. Even if it was a dream. He found himself on the bottom floor and face to face with a stitched up rag dolls of sort. This being was made of spare stitching and parts, yet the parts all matched except for minor color issues. Every physical detail was accurate. Even the two tails and the green sundress, albeit a little dark.

"Chrysanthemum…" Metal whispered.

The rag doll smiled sweetly and stepped up to the hedgehog. Metal was caught off guard when she leaned in and gave him a gentle but loving kiss. But, he did not complain. In fact, he returned it.

But as soon as it had begun it ended. And Metal was left empty.

"So," Chrysanthemum began with a playful smile, "I see you got a new costume this year. Will this finally be the day you show Shadow what for?"

Metal's brain froze a moment. Curse his own convoluted mind. He had already subconsciously made a story to go along with this dream and he didn't even know what it was.

Okay, it was time to make some educated guesses. "Yep," Metal claimed confidently. He posed himself so that his cloak and hat hid his face perfectly. "I plan to walk up to him and spook him with every shadow of my being."

"Hmm, hmm, hmm," Ah, what a sweet laugh she had. "Alright, don't forget to visit Mephiles and his brother. You know how cranky they get when you don't bring them some of your special joy."

"Um, right. So… I'll be going then"

Chrysanthemum looked confused. "Is something wrong?"

"Well… it's just… I don't want to leave-gah!" Metal's collar choked him slightly.

"What?"

"Uh, never mind." Metal sighed in an exasperated way. "I'll be back later, then."

Metal smiled as she gave him another kiss before he stepped out the door. And Metal kept smiling as he walked down the flower filled path.

"She was interesting."

"Far more than interesting," Metal sighed in a sing song like fashion. "She's a work of art. I love her deeply. I want her to be mine some day."

"Aww, how cute. Does she love you back?"

Metal paused a moment, a frown forming. "Yes…"

"You sound unsure."

"Believe me, I know she loves me. But I've been thinking about something, actually. You said it yourself a while ago. I am but a pile of circuits given a soul."

"Your point being?"

"I just… what is it that gave me my soul? And… how can I know she has one as well?"

"Nice job."

"What?"

"Nothing."

The very second Metal stepped into the town, a vampire jumped out of a trash can and made to bite Metal. Metal flicked him in the nose.

"Yeowch! I must vatch who I scares," the white skinned cliché said as he rubbed his nose.

"Try to scare," Metal corrected as he continued along his walk.

After this, Metal began to come up with ways to scare the things that jumped out at him back. Borrowing a little of Jackal's power, Metal made his teeth sharp and his eyes blood red. So when something leaped out with teeth barred or a hockey stick at the ready, Metal simply stayed in his cloak until the whatever it was came close enough to see his face.

"We have unfinished business… **your soul!**" This line usually sent whoever was nearby packing. But his apparent video game like objective, who was apparently Shadow, had eluded him.

"Any hints, Jackal?"

"What do you want from me, a map? How should I know where a character in your dream is?"

"Well," said Metal as he sat down at a fountain that actually spilled clear water, "I don't even know if I need to find him. I'll be honest with you, if it wasn't for the fact that I'm a heroic kind of guy, I'd be enjoying my… 'wife's' company."

"Ah, but you are that kind of guy, for you made a promise. And now you are stuck with most uncertain company. Now, if you'll give me my hands a moment…" The bright gloves that Metal wore acted against his will and pulled from the cloak a set of five Tarot cards.

"Hey! Those are my hands."

"No, they are mine. Now be silent as I read."

There was a moment of silence. Metal looked at the cards he held. An old face hidden in leaves, a demon upon a cloud in the sky, an ark angel, an empty suit of armor, and a blind warrior.

"Hmm… this is different. My cards are showing only people. They should show me situations to come."

"I'm confused, Jackal. Explain to me why it is, if you don't believe the future can be predicted, you are using these things."

"Your mind is so feeble for one so smart. It is because of the endless possibilities a life can take."

"Care to elaborate?"

"Well, we have time, don't we? Let me explain in metaphors. Have you heard the phrase 'the road our destiny leads us on'?"

"I don't believe that life has a road."

"But you should! For you see, life _does_ have a road. And, like any road you have seen, it will have forks in the road, four way intersections, and the occasional detour. Perhaps it can be considered ironic that I, what with my unstable body that you are not certain exists, use something as certain a Tarot cards. But I know what _might_ happen, not what will. My cards show me the might of soon to come."

"You know… that makes sense. Like how if something is hot it will probably catch on fire. But it might not."

"Or, how a rock most likely won't be engulfed in flames… but it can happen."

"Very unlikely… but possible. It is like an arguments two sides, almost. I'm sure, though, it would be an annoying one. So, what do these cards tell you?"

"Ah, it's most strange. My cards show nothing but characters to come. The Tree man means someone who leads and knows. That's me, obviously."

"Yes, obviously."

"Shuuuut uuuuup…" Jackal whined. "The demon in the sky is very rarely drawn from the deck. It is a symbol of one who, though formally dark and unsure, has accepted his darkness and desires light. That's you, I think."

"Yeah, that sounds like me."

"The unknowing angel means someone who guides but does not know it does."

"How is the angel unknowing?"

"See how his back is turned to us and his eyes stare at his wings? He is surprised by his own power."

Actually, Metal did see.

"This angel will come and show you something. No clue what he'll show you, but show you he will. The armor… that's a strange one…"

"Shh…" said Metal suddenly as he crossed his legs, trying to look casual. "Someone's coming."

Metal tried to appear normal (being used in a relative fashion) as the impish being stepped up to the fountain. To Metal's surprise, he was ignored. The creature did not try to scare him. All he, for that was what his attire suggested, did was step up to the fountain and sit, his empty eyes staring into the clear water.

And Metal became wary. This was not a normal (again, being relative) monster of this dream. It looked like a distant cousin of NiGHTS. And in this crazy world, it might have been.

His one piece costume was dark. Duh. Purple in color, mainly. He wore a small cape. Didn't even reach his knees. He had strange crystal cuffs around his ankles and wrists. He had shoes, it appeared, with purple heels, green stripe like crossings cutting the middle. They were tipped orange. Same with his chest, for there was green stripe like designs, yet the direct center was orange. His 'hair' (looked more like some kind of clay) was green with two long bangs, and formed in a way that had three 'spikes' flowing backwards.

Three physical features of this being struck Metal as odd and made him the most wary. First, each of his hands only had three long, skinny, alien like fingers. Second, his pale yet childish face had no nose of any kind.

His most striking feature: his eyes. They were black as midnight. But that wasn't what was amazing about them. They were so… empty. There was nothing in them except the most empty of feelings. Despair. Loneliness. Sorrow.

But somewhere, deep in those haunting eyes, Metal could see stars. They were so dim. But it was a little hope in all the emptiness within those deep holes.

The strange being dipped a single finger in the water and swirled it around.

"Um… hi?" Metal began, unsure how to deal with the awkward stranger.

"Hello," the boy said. Metal was surprised. It did sound like a child, despite how he was as tall as Metal.

"What are you doing here?" asked Metal. He could not look away from those eyes. It was like they were pulling him in almost. "Why aren't you out trying to scare people with everyone else?"

The imp-like one was silent. He turned his head to Metal. Metal was not sure if his eyes were looking his way. "Why aren't you?"

"I… came here to think."

"Then that is why I am here." Again, silence. The being turned back to the water.

Metal tapped his fingers together awkwardly and gulped. "Well, uh, I'm Metaru. What's your name?"

"Void." Silence. This guy was not much of a talker.

Metal sighed. He supposed that this could be a test. It was unlikely that Wizeman could have sent him, as he was too small to be a Nightmaren like he had already seen and held very little resemblance, if any, to NiGHTS. Void was also too fantastic to be anything from his own mind. Now that Metal thought about it, everything in his mind was unoriginal. This town, he was pretty sure, was based off a movie he had seen.

Besides, you would have to be an idiot to not see the resemblance with that crazy little fairy thing. It was slight, but it was more than with NiGHTS at any rate.

Void could be here to test his patience. But Metal had demonstrated something close to that before. Maybe he was here to monitor him. But why have him come up to him like this? A distraction, most likely. Void could have been…

Those eyes. Metal just wanted to fall in them forever.

Where did that come from?

"Have you ever noticed how water is empty?" asked Void suddenly.

"Uh, what now?" Metal said shakily like he was coming out of a trance.

"It's clear. It's there. But nothing's in it when it's clean. Water can hold things. But no one see's that water by itself is so lonely, so lacking in life. Why do you think so many people look away from this?"

Metal looked sympathetic. The way Void spoke… it was apparent he was a child who had seen what was not meant for any child. "Because, people don't want to. When their own lives aren't affected by what's around them, a lot of people tend to look away. It is a cruel fact about the soul. It can be a vile as-" Metal was about to say darkness, but then he remembered where he was, and a few of the people he'd met over his short life.

A burning fire? No, fire could bring warmth.

The emptiness of space? No. Without that space, there would be nowhere to exist.

Vile as what?

"Vile as… well, as vile as they can be."

"Why did you hesitate?"

"I was trying to think of a good comparison. But all I can think of has an exception."

"You are well educated. Few who are well read are very vile."

Before Metal could smile appreciatively, someone screamed. And it was not a 'scared' scream. It was a terrified scream.

Metal leaped up and in an instant. "Did you hear that?"

"Yes."

A moment of no movement.

"Well? Are you going to run? How about run with me? Perhaps foolishly go see what caused this? Or maybe smartly run to safety?"

"I do not care."

Metal raised a brow. With no other immediate option available, he started to run to wear the screams were coming from.

This time, it was a nightmare. Not to be confused with a Nightmaren. It was not some form of 'cute' like the one's Metal had thus far seen. It was terrifying. It was six feet tall, hunched over like a frog, yet shaped like a bipedal. It was green skinned with three completely blue eyes. And like the aforementioned frog, it had a very long tongue that it acted like a whip.

The 'monsters' around the place ran in terror of the creature as it attacked, destroying buildings and trying to get them. It had already brought down a…

Hedgewolf.

"Sarsar…" Metal whispered. "Jackal, what is that thing?"

"I'm not sure. It sure doesn't look like something Wizeman would make, does it?"

"So, no inside information I can use?"

"None that I can give."

Metal was no fool. He saw word play when it was there. Jackal was hiding something.

The frog thing prepared to dig its long claws into Sarsar. Metal instinctively reached for his sword. It was not there.

"No, no, no" Jackal said. "I can't let you use any of your physical weapons here."

"You mean you won't let me summon a dream sword!"

"Nope. Let's try this, though." Against Metal's will, his hands reached into his cloak and pulled out a handful of Tarot cards. Before Metal could make a remark about how this was no time to play Tarot, Jackal gave a squeal and threw the cards at the creature. They moved through the air like ninja stars, leaving behind a rainbow of color, and sliced at the creature's arm. The thing roared in pain and reeled back, away from Sarsar.

"That was cool," Metal noted.

"Now, you try. What can you fill me with?"

"What?"

"I am an empty cape, porcupine. You have filled me. What did you fill me with?"

Metal reached in the cloak and pulled out a handful of cards and gave a quick look at them. These ones were different. They were each apicture of a single thing. A lightning bolt, a star, a flame, a water droplet, and a flower.

Metal thought for a moment, which of course for him was all the time in the universe. The creature had recuperated and was advancing on Metal. Metal pulled out the water droplet from his hand and threw it. In a flash, the card became a turret of water that bombarded the creature.

"That was interesting," noted Jackal.

"Yeah, you like it? I just thought of what I have inside my head- my imagination- and thought of your power as a focus. We need to catch this thing and try to figure out where it came from."

"What of the big armed beast?"

Metal pulled out the plant card and gave it a toss at Sarsar. A patch of flowers grew around him.

"That should create a barrier against darkness."

"Ugh… how corny."

"Shut up, it works."

The creature was upon Metal again. It shot out his tongue at him, going for a long range attack. Metal, using his 'The Matrix' like ability to slow down time around his thoughts, expertly dodged the tongue, and grabbed it. The creature flailed its arms. Metal pulled out the flame card and set it on the thing's tongue, and let it go. The result of this was that the creature's mouth caught on fire.

Metal laughed, and Jackal joined him. "Quite the show, I'd say, ey?

"Neh, heh, heh! How entertaining! It is growing madder!"

The creature hissed viciously, and Metal prepared for another strike. Nothing could stop Metal and Jackal, it seemed.

"… aaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAHHHHH"

Metal looked upwards.

Thump.

"Ouch…" Both Metal and the two tailed fox that landed on him whispered.

"My spine…"

"Tails?" Metal whispered.

"Uh?" Tails asked as he looked at Metal. Who, by the way, still had red eyes and very sharp teeth. "Aaaah!" Tails leaped up, and then his pupils shrank. Then he froze. He could feel hot breath on his back.

"Don't freak," said Metal slowly. "But there's a six foot tall thing-y behind you that probably wants to eat you."

Tails remained still, his expression showing only confusion and fear. Was this another dream character? He did not appear to be one, as he wore nothing scary. Not that he wore anything usually, but…

The thing hissed and prepared to bite Tails head clean off. Before it could, a bolt of light struck the creature in the jaw and sent it back. 'Shadow', wearing a slimming suit of thick black stripes and skinny red ones with a spider bow tie, stepped forward (not wearing his air skates and instead wearing black dress shoes), holding another bolt of light.

"What have we here?" Shadow said with a smile. "Don't tell me you've been playing card tricks, porcupine."

Metal scowled. "I do not like being called porcupine."

"Shadow!" Tails practically yelled.

"That's my name kid, don't wear it out. Need some help, Metal?"

"I am perfectly capable of taking care of this without your help" Metal huffed as he stood up, though he grinned. "But I suppose it would be easier with it."

"That it would. Stay back kid, this will get ugly. Kinda like your face, Metal."

"Do you like it? I thought it would get you this year."

"Unfortunately you lost the element of surprise."

"Metal…" Tails whispered this time as Metal and Shadow leaped into action. Metal flew up in the air, borrowing Jackal's power, and Shadow's hands glowed with a strange light.

The creature turned to face them and it threw its tongue out at them. Shadow ducked while Metal threw his lightning card, the card exploding in a flash and striking the creature with an estimated 1500 volts. However, the creature was barely phased. But it was paused long enough for Shadow to run up and sucker punch it square in the jaw.

Tails shook off his initial fear and ran forward, pulling out strange glowing balls of blue light. With two heaves, Tails sent the sparkling spheres at the creature, which reeled back when they shattered against it.

Metal pulled out his final card. The one with a star on it. When he threw it, it became, not surprisingly, a star. It was perhaps the most colorful thing Metal had seen all night. It went right through the creature.

Everyone paused for a moment. The creature shrugged, and roared, but stopped halfway through. Then, in a rather amusing fashion, it fell apart as if it were made of clay.

Metal, Shadow and Tails stepped up to what that monster had become.

"They're empty" Shadow pointed out as he picked up an arm.

Metal picked up the head and looked through its neck. Indeed it, what was left of whatever it was was hollow.

"Who are you people?" asked Tails, appearing wary. Metal was hurt, until he remembered that he did not look like the Metal Tails knew.

"We should be asking you that, kid," Shadow said as he pulled out a Chaos Spear. "You literally fall out of the sky and pull out balls of light. We never have light in this town. And something like that," Shadow pointed at the hollow thing, "never appeared before either. To add to that, you knew my name, and I don't think Metal told you it in the midst of battle."

"Wait, Shadow," said Metal as he held up a hand. "He's not dangerous. He's a lost kid. You can see that."

"But you look just like a friend of mine!" cried Tails, directing this at Shadow. "And you," Tails pointed at Metal, "have the same name as another friend. Where am I?"

Metal waved a hand and his eyes and teeth became normal. "Tell me… where did you come from?"

Tails gulped, though apparently calmer after Metal's transformation. "I was… with a friend of mine. We were playing around, and someone came along and opened a portal and threw me in. The next thing I know I'm falling through the sky and I'm here."

"I don't know, Metal. It sure seems convenient."

"Yes, of course it's convenient. But sometimes things are just that, you know. I think he may be special to me."

"How? You only just met him."

"Maybe I have…" Metal smiled at Tails. "Time only knows."

Tails eyes widened. "What did you say?"

"Time only knows. Maybe we met tonight. Or, maybe, in some far off dimension, we know each other as family."

"What are you talking about?"

"Metal… is this a dream?"

"Yes. Yes it is." Metal nodded and grinned foolishly.

Tails smiled and was about to run up to Metal and hug him. But someone grabbed him by the tails. Metal gasped, and Shadow prepared to leap.

"Halt," said Void simply as he expertly twirled Tails around and pulled him close. Void then held a hand over Tails mouth as he muffled something in surprise. "Come any closer, and the boy becomes raw material."

"Tails!" Metal cried.

"What now?" asked Shadow.

"You weren't supposed to be here," Void said as he pet Tails bangs. "But you shall be useful to me."

"Let him go, Void," Metal said pleadingly. "If this has anything to do with me, just say so. What do you want?"

"To be accepted," Void said. "I want you to let me be you. Let my being and all I stand for become you."

"You mean… give you my life?"

"Give me your being. Accept me. I will set the boy free."

Metal looked at Tails, and any rational part of his mind shut down, and he became clouded by his fear.

Tails managed to pull Void's hand away for a brief moment. "Metal! Emptiness! It isn't your enemy! Darkness and emptiness aren't the-"

"Quiet!" Void shouted as a dark mass covered Tails mouth. "I'll make a monster out of you if you don't. You weren't supposed to be here, anyway. I won't hesitate."

"You made that thing?" asked Shadow.

"To test Metal. Despite the boy's interference, it was an adequate result. He will make a nice host."

"…" Metal was silent.

Void 'hmmfed'. "I will wait for you at the house on the top of the Spiral Hill. If you are not there with an answer in thirty minutes, the kid will be raw material." With that, Void vanished in a black fog.

"What in the name of all things random and unpredictable was that all about!" Shadow shouted. "That made no sense at all!"

"Maybe to you… but it made perfect sense to me. We need to get to Spiral Hill."

Shadow smiled. "Excellent. An excuse to get away from scaring people. Time to do some heroic junk."

Metal nodded and grinned. "Yes. We better hurry, though."

"Why?"

"That." Metal pointed up at the sky. Though it was dark already, had become black. No, it had not become black. A storm cloud was coming. "If I'm right, that ought to be the blind warrior. A warrior who does his job blindly. We need to get to Void and fast."

"Why? Because the kid can stop this 'blind warrior'?"

"No. Because I need to fill the Void."

-break-

Mephiles looked at the sparkling/shining blue crystal with wonder plain in his eyes. He brought his glass of wine up to his lips and drank deeply. "So, Mr. Owl, this is my Ideya of Wisdom? I always thought wisdom was the color purple, for some reason."

"There is no true explanation for the color Ideya have" Owl said from his perch. "But, be glad you found it just the same. You are very lucky to have such a sibling at your side."

Mephiles turned to Iblis, who sat in a big cozy chair while fiery lion sat close by, and grinned. "I appreciate you, big guy, I hope you know that."

Iblis nodded and smiled, giving the lion a gentle scratch behind the ears, earning a purr from it.

Mephiles took another drink. "What I don't get is how I even lost my Ideya. You said that the Ideya create these worlds, but if Nightmaren are the ones that take them, how'd they end up here?"

At this, Owl sighed. "It is not always the Nightmaren so much as take them, as it is that they find them. I do not understand how the world works, but people simply lose their Ideya on their way to this dimension. Or maybe they never even had them."

"You mean… there are only so many people who can come here, and you don't know why?"

"Some people just draw an unlucky hand. Others are simply too cruel to come here, even to the dream gate. And then there are simply those who lack the need to come here. Of course, the only Ideya that will never leave you is your Ideya of Courage, but it is possible to simply throw it away."

"Why would anyone do that?"

"Who can say? It has never happened as long as I've been here."

"That's another thing. How is it that you can be here when all I've seen are Nightopians and the people from Metal's mind? From what you told me, there's no one else here."

"You know, I don't believe I remember."

"Wow. That's just sad. So, what will collecting Ideya do for me in the waking world?"

"I'm not sure. From what I've been told, you will show more of the trait in your world. Eventually, when you have gathered them all, the meaning of your torment and its value to you will become clear."

"So, these Nightmaren could be considered my fear of being made of nothingness?"

"Yes, quite possibly."

"Hmm." Before Mephiles could ask another question, a black fog filled the doorway and blew out the fireplace Iblis was in front of.

Void appeared, clutching Tails, though he let him go once the fog vanished.

"Are you hurt, Tails?" Void asked sympathetically.

Tails shook his head. "No. What's going on, Void? I thought you went back to being the real you?"

"I'm still a person too," Void said, turning around and seeming hurt. "In any case, Metal has been considered a valuable asset in the battle against Wizeman. I am here to test him and prove his worth. I had a plan, but your intrusion made my job harder and easier. How did you get here? This is Metal's and Mephiles's dream."

Tails looked confused until Mephiles gave a simple 'hi' from behind. Tails saw him and gave a shaky wave. "Hi, Mephiles. Hi, Owl."

"Nice to see you too, Tails," Owl said with a smile.

Mephiles looked over Void after setting his glass down, a look of contemplation on his features. "Dark, depressing, an empty look in his eye… I like you."

"I'm sure you do."

"What are they doing here?" Tails asked madly as he pointed at Mephiles and Iblis with both hands.

"Funny thing about that," said Mephiles. "I and Metal share the same dream. Thus, we have the same Nightopia. Isn't that nice? I saw him performing in a circus tent the other day. It sure was cool looking. But I've been unable to catch him and say hi. Tonight, Owl forbade me to see him. What are you doing here, Tails?"

"I was in my Sky Land with a friend of mine when this evil looking jester thing sent me here."

"Curse that Reala," Void slightly hissed. "Makes everything so complicated. He's trying to gather as many visitors as he can without NiGHTS and swipe your Ideya."

"Wait… that purple hedgehog _was_ Metal?"

"Yep," Mephiles said as he reached for his wine again.

"I always thought he'd be bluer."

"And I was hoping to look less like Shadow, but that's not happening anytime soon."

"We don't have much time," said Void. "Reala's on his way here now with another creature, and nothing I could hope to make can stand a chance against one of Wiseman's goofy 'nightmares'. Metal must accept me without him knowing about the test and who I am. If he does not, we could be in danger."

Mephiles sighed. "I suppose Iblis and I will have to hide."

"Yes," said Void. "We'll have to make this convincing. Only I and Tails can see him. We must act the parts of the stereotypical villain and the hapless victim. We must rile him up as best as we can."

"Why?" asked Tails. "Won't that make him more likely to fight?"

"If he is as powerful in mind as I have been told, he will not fight me, and will see my value, like you did. But he must be faster than you were. Much faster."

"I'll help you Void," said Tails sadly. "Anything to help Nightopia. But don't hurt Metal. Please."

"I won't," Void said as sincerely as he could. "Now, get up the stairs. We have to make this look official."

-break-

Metal and Shadow walked up the cobblestone path. Like the name suggested, the hill was spiral-y. And the path they had to take was spiral-y. And when Metal looked down and realized that he could fall and become seriously injured, his vision became spiral-y.

"You still get queasy going up to meet Mephiles, huh?" Shadow said as pated Metal's back.

Metal gulped. "I know I can float and all, but it doesn't make the view any less imposing." Metal looked up then. "At least we're almost there."

"I never understood why Mephiles decided to live so far from town." Shadow noted as he looked over at said town. "He likes being with people."

"Why did you want to get away from scaring people?" asked Metal, trying to forget the long drop. "You sure did seem happy when you found out we could get away."

Shadow sighed deeply. "Can I tell you something? I don't like scaring people."

"Really?" asked Metal with surprise. "But you're really good at it."

"Of course I'm good at it. Doesn't mean I like it. Everyone comes to me, looking for that scary guy. And if I don't play that scary guy, everybody looks at me like I'm a weakling. I'm not weak. I'm just not stone. Sometimes I feel like you're the only person who can look at me like I'm normal. I mean, I can't even play a game without people's jaw's dropping."

"Yeah," said Metal while looking embarrassed.

"Ahh, how touchy," Jackal whispered into Metal's ear. "You learned something today. And it's not even day."

"Look," said Metal as he pointed at the looming building at the end of the now straight path. "That must be the place."

"Wow, good job Sir Points out the Obvious."

"Shut up. I need you to stall the Jester thing that's about to appear. If I'm not back in ten minutes, then I'm probably dead."

"Comforting."

Metal took a deep breath and stepped up to the door. Should he barge in? Should he ring the bell?

He gently pushed the door open, only moderately surprised that it was unlocked.

"Jackal," Metal said as he pulled off his gloves and hat. "I'll need to do this alone."

"Thank goodness!" Jackal yelled in glee as his un-form returned. "You have terrible dandruff! It will take me ages to pull out all the flakes." To emphasize this, a pile of what looked like snow formed at Jackal's feet.

Metal grinned. "Your cape was getting itchy anyway."

"Good luck porcupine. I'll try to hold off Reala too."

Metal nodded and walked inside the large house. Jackal pulled out two cards, the empty suit of armor and the demon on a cloud.

"Hmm…" He then smiled devilishly. "Ah, you little genius, you."

-break-

Metal looked at Tails, who was knocked out and constricted in tendrils of darkness. Void stood nearby, two violent looking snarling things guarding him. Metal stood calmly, determination written on his features.

"Have you made a decision?" said Void plainly.

"Cut the crap," Metal spoke with an outside voice. "You're not some dark and evil nightmare. So just let Tails go already."

"What are you talking about? I am the Void, the bottomless pit that will take you."

"Yeah yeah, I get it. Enough. I know you're the one sent to test me. And I figured out what the test was. I'm supposed to accept the emptiness, not the darkness, for without a void there is nothing to fill."

"…"

"Then you take over my being and give me the power I need to beat whatever Wizeman sent, because none of us, not even NiGHTS, can defeat anything he makes by our own respective selves. Then we all go home having learned the moral of this dream, which is wisdom, for you must be wise to understand that everything has levels, even scariness, and everything has an exception."

Void stood still for a moment. Then he slouched over as if he had been holding in a large breath. "Thank goodness. I was sure we'd have an old fashioned brawl there for a moment." The tendrils that had Tails trapped slithered away, leaving Tails free.

"Metal!" Tails cried as he ran up to said hedgehog. Metal opened his arms.

"Good to see you too, Tails" said Metal as he ruffled Tails bangs in their embrace.

"So, is this what you look like?" Asked Tails in wonder. "I always thought you'd be bluer."

"What? Is a creamy purple not a good color or something?"

"N-no! I mean yes! I mean-"

"Enough," said Void as he stepped forward. "We need to combine now, Metal. Reala is almost here."

"Now hold on," said Metal with a wry grin. "I never said I'd let you create a void in me."

"What?" asked Void, his eyes showing the slightest bit of irritation. "If you do not, then you have failed the test."

"Wait a moment. The thing is I already had a void in my soul. Tails filled it. The way I see it, it would be a waste of time for you to create a void just to fill it up again when I've already done that."

"Then how," whispered Void, now sounding annoyed, "do you plan to take down some freaky Nightmaren thing?"

"Let me go for the extra credit on this test. You, sir, judging from your resemblance to Lumina, are related to said fairy thing. And since Lumina means light pretty much, I'm guessing her light fills you up, the Void."

"Where are you going with this?"

Metal pushed Tails away. "Well, allow me to fill _you_ up with my special light." Then Metal charged at Void.

-break-

Shadow and Jackal looked at the giant Jack-in-the-Box, looking a little less than confident. Mephiles sipped at his wine while Iblis looked at the bird like head that had sprung out in wonder.

"That's just weird," said Shadow as he adjusted his spider tie. "I'll have to make a note to never go with Metal after some freaky thing-y after this."

Jackal looked at a hand of cards. "Gee, I hope Porcupine comes back soon. My cards show bleak possibilities.

Mephiles looked up at the jester that floated down with disdain. "So, Reala, I see Wizeman's not saving the best for last."

Reala giggled evilly, staring each of them down. "Let's make this easy," he said as he waved a hand. "Tell me where the Metal is, and the empty one, and I'll make sure this doesn't hurt."

"You don't scare me!" Shadow shouted. He then pointed at the bird headed Jack-in-the-Box. "That, on the other hand, is scary."

Reala grinned at Jackal. "So, I see you've sided with the visitors. You're no better than NiGHTS, Jackal, running to whichever side shows the most promise."

"Well, considering the fact that this side won't tear me limb from limb…"

"You don't have limbs," Mephiles pointed out as he tossed his glass.

"Shut up."

"Last warning. Where are they?"

"Here," Void said as he appeared suddenly in a plume of smoke. But he looked different. His 'hair' had become quill shaped, specifically with only three quills. His eyes had become shaped like a normal anthromorphs eyes, though they were still just as empty. His costume had become completely black, and instead of his short cape, he now had a black overcoat.

"Where's the Metal?" asked Reala with disdain. "There's no use hiding him. Wizeman's creations are perfect. They will find him eventually."

"You do not need to look any further to find him," said Void, motioning at his own body. "But your 'Nightmaren' are a disgrace to the name of nightmare."

"You dare mock Wizeman? He shall bring your doom to you yet, you and your mistress. Nothing can stop him. All you're doing is prolonging the inevitable."

"Popcorn?" Mephiles offered to the spectators that had sat down.

"Yes please," Jackal said, taking a handful. He tossed it in his mouth, only to have it fall into his cape.

"Maybe so," said Void. "But we will prolong it as long as we can." Void smirked. "Now, let me show you a real nightmare.

Suddenly the house upon the hill's front door (and wall) exploded open. There now was a terrifying sight. It was, indeed, a Nightmare. A horse, made from a deep darkness, it's mane that of burning fire.

The Nightmare neighed in rage and shot forward, its hoofs echoing. The Jack-in-the-Box screeched in fear, right before bursting into confetti from the Nightmare's charge.

Reala's mouth hung wide open. "But… but how! You're creations were nothing!"

"Close your mouth," Void said. "You'll catch flies. This is not my work, Reala. You know my work is far more original."

"Shut up," Metal's voice echoed from somewhere.

Reala growled and flew off, the dark cloud he had brought with him fading.

The Nightmare clopped back to Void and lowered its head. "Good girl," Void said as he pet its muzzle.

"Bravo," called Mephiles as he clapped his hands. "That was a short but sweet show."

"What happened just now!" cried Shadow.

Void's Fingers reached into his chest and pulled. Slowly, the form of Metal came out of Void, until Void violently tossed Metal away. Void returned to his previous state.

"Ouch…" Metal said as he stood back up.

"Congratulations!" Jackal shouted. "I do believe you just passed!"

"Metal!" Tails shouted as he flew from the now destroyed house.

"Did I pass?" Metal asked Void.

Void nodded. "Yes. And, like you said, with extra credit."

"Great," said Metal as he cracked his neck. "Let me tell you, for a void, you sure are a tight fit. Jackal fit better than you."

At this, everybody was silent.

"Aw, come on. Not even a chuckle?"

"Come now, Metal," said Mephiles with a grin. "The night is still young! Let's have some fun before we have to wake up."

"… What are you doing here?"

"I'll explain on the way. Coming, brother?" Iblis nodded and smiled, and they started to walk back towards the town, Tails and Shadow running to catch up.

"Is he all I said he would be?" asked Owl as he flew up to meet Void.

Void crossed his arms. "He is a little more and a little less. I expected someone dumber. Someone more likely to smile, like that one Sonic character. He is able to see darkness- good and bad- for all its value. This may make him weak later. This may make him give pity on Wizeman."

Owl frowned. "He will be ready Void. All of them will be."

"Let us hope. That is the only thing I can feel, after all."

-Author's Note-

I want to have something witty to say here, but I don't. It's another NiGHTS chapter, though I think better than my first attempt at it. Gosh, I wish Kingdom Hearts fans weren't fifty times stupider than Sonic fans. If they'd pay attention, I'd love to write an abstract bit of Kingdom Hearts fanfiction. I love the metaphysical-ness of dream and computer based stories. They allow a freedom that most situations don't. As long as it's within a given amount of reason, anything can happen in those types of plotlines. But I digress, I hope you enjoyed.

Sincerely,  
>The Conflicted Writer<p> 


	43. The Next Multi Named Chapter

I heard that chivalry was dead, but I think it's just got a bad flu.

~Meg Ryan

**First name: Mr. Ix and the Marvelous Queen's Riders**

Mr. Ix was the first person to be patient. He had been patient for a very long time. So long, one could say he'd been waiting an eternity. But this was not the case. Either way, Mr. Ix was patient.

Even when dealing with his current employer.

"You heard what they said!" The Commander shouted, his face red as a beat. "Those freaks actually brought them down! They took down the Metallix! And we've been at it for years, _years_ damn it all!"

Mr. Ix, his grin ever present, shrugged. "They have proven to be quite a threat, sir. But I still have a plan of action for them when next they arrive. And besides, they have taken down the Metallix."

"But we can't take the credit! They actually found survivors!"

"Calm yourself. Do not forget your condition, sir"

The Commander huffed and took a deep breath, clutching at his heart. "Yes… proceed, Mr. Ix."

"As you know, they'll be back for the robot's paperwork, which has all been drawn up. And as I said, I have a plan. When they do come, I shall place a tracking device on them. An attempt to retrieve a Chaos Emerald would be futile against their numbers and powers. Our only option is to either sneak aboard and steal one, which will be nearly impossible as they always have someone on guard, or we place a device on their transport and try to catch them at a vulnerable time."

The Commander sighed. "How long will that take? And even if we were able to find a time, how would we mobilize in time?"

Mr. Ix began, "Perhaps if you'd try some double agents-"

"Never!" the commander shouted. "That would mean paying creatures to do our work!"

"Calm down," Mr. Ix said, irritated. The Commander complied and took a deep breath. "It was only a suggestion. In any case, I'll handle it all, sir. You will have your Chaos Emerald, and the power it entails."

The commander smiled, bringing a hand to his chin. "Yes… the power."

"The power to stomp upon your foes as if they were insects."

"The power to control the nations and keep them safe."

"The power to-" suddenly a ringing came from Mr. Ix's back pocket. "Excuse me a moment." Mr. Ix turned around and pulled out a phone. "What is it, I'm in a meeting. What do you mean? Can't you take care of it? Well, then move him! Then hit him! He's that big? Well… non-hostile? No weapons? A fishing pole? Out here? What does he want? A frog? I'll be right there." Mr. Ix hung up his phone and turned to the commander, who had a very confused look. "Forgive me, sir. There appears to be a large cat outside our doors saying a frog hopped in our fence."

The Commander's mouth hung open for a moment. "And they can't handle it?"

"Don't ask. I'll take care of this." Mr. Ix turned to leave and started out the door, but paused. "I hate to ask now of all times, but when can I see for myself the ring pool with which I have heard about?"

The Commander scowled. "Who told you about that?"

"I have my ways of gathering information, sir." Mr. Ix secretly smiled a very toothy grin.

"The ring pool is level six classification, Mr. Ix. Only those with special permission gain access. Don't bring it up if anyone does find out," the commander scowled viciously, "I'll know who to blame."

"Of course, sir." With that, Mr. Ix walked out the door.

The Commander, left to himself, cupped his face in his hands. "What am I going to do? If this Knights of Chaos thing goes on much longer, I'll lose what little grip I managed to keep from the Black Arms invasion." The Commander looked up and pounded a fist into his desk. "Damn you, Shadow. Damn you to hell. I'll prove it yet. I'll prove that you're not the ultimate life form. Humans are."

-break-

Mr. Ix made one quick stop on his way out the door. It was big, it was shiny, and it was all powerful. And Mr. Ix was fascinated by it every time he looked at it. No magic of his could open its locks. He could tear it apart simply enough, but he would find none of its true contents inside. It vexed him so.

It was a computer. A computer with a screen at least three times bigger than himself. As it was, Mr. Ix disliked all computers.

"Bah," he said to himself as he ran his only hand over the confounding keyboard with letters that made no sense to him. "It holds notes like a box should, yet I cannot reach them. If I only knew how to work this thing. Better still, if only things were like they were before. Technology… I remember when that meant a pulley." Mr. Ix smiled. "That will be the first thing to go. No more stupid machines to oppose my will." Mr. Ix turned back around, his large black overcoat flowing slightly, walking along the ridiculous, in his opinion, metallic walkway that led to the computer.

Once Mr. Ix was out the door, he paused. He turned around and looked around the room thoroughly. No one seemed to be there.

Mr. Ix was not about to say he had heard nothing. He had the ears of a bat. But it could have been a pipe or something. Still…

"I'll be right back," Mr. Ix called playfully. "If anyone is in here, they'd better do what they're doing before I return." With that, Mr. Ix walked away.

There was silence in the room.

Mr. Ix suddenly ran back in. "Ah-ha!" he shouted. There was still no one there. "Hmmm… that usually works." And again, Mr. Ix left.

There was silence in the room.

Espio materialized in his chameleon/ninja way, uncovering Fang, who he was holding up against the wall.

"True ripper, tha' was close," Fang sighed as he wiped his brow. "We almos' moved before 'e came back again."

Espio tossed Fang, who landed semi-swiftly on the ground, and then leapt off himself. Fang walked towards the giant computer and Espio stepped towards the door.

"'ow much time do ya' think Big'll give us?" Fang asked as his hand became liquid metal.

-break-

"Froggy?"

"No, I do not know where your frog is, now go away."

"I must find Froggy."

"It's a frog, you moron. Leave it be."

"Froggy is my friend."

"How can a stupid frog be your friend!"

"Me and Froggy like to go fishing."

"…"

"Froggy's friend Norton needs Froggy to babysit next week."

"… I think I see how a stupid frog can be _your_ friend."

"Froggy?"

"No, I do not know where your frog is, now go away."

-break-

"Enough, I'm sure," Espio noted as he stuck his head out the door and turned invisible. "I'll keep watch. Find out what we need and let's go. That ugly guy gave me the creeps."

"**I'm not sure how,**" A.D.A.M. said aloud through Fang as his nanites began leaking through the keyboard. "**But I believe he is familiar to me.**"

"It's probably nothin'," Espio said, most likely shrugging. Fang couldn't tell from under his cloak.

"Nah." Fang furrowed his brow. "A.D.A.M. doesn't have notions 'less they mean somethin'. That guy might come back to haunt us."

"**There is an issue,**" A.D.A.M. said to fang within his mind. "**It seems there is no documentation of any ring related money endeavor. Do you have a suggestion?**"

Fang thought for a moment. "If it is a machine that spits rings, I seriously doubt they'd jus' stash it somewhere and take the cash. They have ta be studyin' it, tryin' ta figure out why it's doin' that, and duplicate it."

"**That would be difficult. The Ring Forge was more so a fluke than a planned project. Nate barely knew how it worked himself.**"

"Doesn't mean they won't try. Look up any new projects of theirs."

"**Searching… new entries: Project Light Screen, Project D Hopper, Project Devastation, Project Duplication-**"

"Try that one."

"**Opening data… processing… error! Massive fire wall! Passcode or termination of link required!**"

"Passcode? I thought you were supposed to be smart enough to get past that junk."

"**This one is more difficult. Rendering… firewall is composed of a program designed to block out all foreign information.**"

"Bloody 'ell… what do we do now?"

"**Only available solution… send something that is not data to retrieve data.**"

Fang very visibly flinched. "Oh no."

"**Forgive me, Fang, but an action must be taken quickly**"

"I hate you."

"**Statement ignored.**"

Fang shut his eyes and opened them, now being completely green.

Fang flew through the wall of fire, landing on the hard block that was a digital transport.

"Damn 'im…" Fang moaned as he stood back up, dusting himself off. He turned to the wall of fire he had come through, where A.D.A.M. was trying to retain a firm foothold. Easy, since he was some sort of oversized silver turtle thing with claws.

"**I will remain here as long as I can. Retrieve the data and bring it to me. I will take you back to your body when you have.**"

"Thanks a lot!" Fang shouted back. "I'll remember this, ya hear?"

"**Hurry!**"

"Yeah, yeah," Fang huffed as he moved towards the shrine like platform that was floating over the bottomless pit of darkness below.

"Remain calm," Fang told himself as he stepped across the small walkway. "I mus' not fear, fear is the mind killer, fear is the little death that brings total oblivion."

-break-

"Why?"

"Because I'm busy."

"Why?"

"Because I'm a high ranking officer in the G.U.N. ranks."

"Why?"

"Because I worked my way up."

"Why?"

"Because I wanted power!"

"Why?"

"Because power gives me a thrill!"

"Why?"

"I don't know, for the love of Chaos! Power makes me tingle all over!"

"Why?"

"Because power is the only thing that matters in this world!"

"Why?"

"Because everyone is a selfish prick!"

"… Froggy?"

"Urg…"

-break-

Fang stepped up to the shrine, wishing he had sunglasses. Data was always so shiny. At least he was smart enough to always wear his heavy duty gloves, because data was also very hot. He put his hand into the light, pulling out a shining mass of ones and zeros. Hopefully, this would be enough.

Fang turned around and was met with a crystalline shape, probably an anti-virus. Apparently, they were a cheap kind, for it was closing in on Fang. And Fang was no virus.

At this, Fang smiled, showing off his namesake feature. "Are they really tha' desperate nowadays? Well, let's see if they break as easy He pulled out his faithful gun, and took aim.

Bang.

The anti-virus did indeed shatter, like glass almost. Then there were two.

Bang.

Bang.

Then there were four.

Bang.

Bang.

Bang.

Click. No more bullets.

Fang couldn't reload, for a mass of data was in his other hand. At least the last three he had shot did not duplicate, but what remained were closing in on him. And he had nowhere to run.

-break-

"Why aren't my powers of persuasion working on you!?"

"My brain is itchy."

"Erg… Alright, that's it. You have five seconds to leave before I allow these soldiers shoot you. Five…"

"Froggy?"

"Four…"

"Rings are pretty."

"Three…"

"I hope Mr. Norton isn't getting into any trouble."

"Two…"

"You aren't a nice person."

"One… fire!"

-break-

Fang, with his expert gymnastic skills (worthy of an Olympic bronze in the pole vault), leaped over the two anti-viruses, landing on the small walkway. He panicked slightly as he wobbled over the side. He quickly regained his balance, gulped, and ran towards the fire wall.

Fang jumped through.

"… ack. Nack!" Espio shouted in Fang's ear while holding said appendage. Fang slapped Espio's hand away and blinked his eyes back to normal, or at least their current normal.

"I'm fine," Fang said as he rubbed his eyes. "Just handlin' the situation. Talk about out of body experience. Was that it, A.D.A.M."

"**Yes, I'm afraid so.**"

"What do you mean by afraid?" Espio asked warily while squinting his eyes.

"**They have found the Forge in Shamar. As you know, that area is currently a war zone with certain powers. The whole thing started with the Forge though. G.U.N. has acquired the area in which it is being held, and has kept the Forge where they found it. They are experimenting with the rings, and have already discovered their unique properties. If their study continues, they will eventually understand that enough rings will allow a person to enter the 'Super Form' that has been used by Sonic.**"

"What?!" Espio gasped.

"Are you serious?!" Fang yelled.

"**Power Rings hold a small portion of energy similar to that of a Chaos Emerald. If enough are pooled together, attaining and remaining in Super state is simple. All one needs is enough rings to activate the transformation. The only drawback to this method is that the energy is not as limitless as it is with the Emeralds. Even still…**"

"Even still," Espio said forcefully, "If anyone could go super, nuclear war would look like rocks and clubs in comparison."

"**Your analogy is correct. Power is corrupting, as Sonic has proven. If not to stop Sonic, then we must find the Forge and keep anyone from using its power any further.**"

"Hey, Espio," Fang noted, sounding aggravated. "Weren't you supposed to be watching the door?"

Espio looked over his shoulder. "Great, you distracted me. Shut up, right now."

"Ey, you don't-" Before Fang could whine any further, Espio grabbed him and held his mouth shut. They both turned invisible.

Mr. Ix walked back into the room, his eye now black and a limp in his step. "Stupid cat. Who carries a spike balled fishing lure?" Mr. Ix looked around with his good eye. Nothing seemed out of place. Everything was in order.

"Hmm…" Mr. Ix said aloud. "I suppose I was just being para-" Mr. Ix paused and his eye widened.

"**Oh no,**" A.D.A.M. whispered into Fang's mind.

Mr. Ix ran over to the computer screen, and grinned. A very evil grin. A grin that made one wonder if good actually existed. And then, Mr. Ix laughed. A very evil-well, the point has been made.

"Whoever you are and wherever you are, I'd like to thank you! You've brought me a great step forward in reaching complete and limitless power! Soon the world will remember and scream my name! All shall scream the name… Ixis Naugus!"

Fang's eyes, though it could not be seen, shrunk considerably. He had heard that name before.

How could this get any worse?

**Second Name: The Master of Dimensions and the Pleaser of Crowds**

He usually smiled. He almost always smiled. In the face of imminent doom, he smiled. In the face of certain death, he smiled. Before the courts of hell, he smiled.

Now, though, he did not smile. He frowned.

"Your head," he started, "It is as empty as an overused bike tire."

A chuckle could be heard from the cell next to his. "I got a postcard today. Your brain says it's having a _wonderful_ time."

He banged his head against his cell's bars. This person's mind did not crack easy, he noticed.

Of course, that was because it was already cracked.

And he wondered how long it would take for his own mind to lose what little sanity it possessed. And how long before he would get bored from that and become sane again, like Charlie. Very… very sane…

"Please, Zod," he said as he cupped his cuffed hands together. "Please… let me obliterate just one person… just one tiny obliteration. It will be as quick as a two year old after a piece of candy."

Zod, the Zone cop, combed his ridiculously long beard, and sighed. "I would, man, I really would. But Zuigi told me not to. And he outranks me."

"Curse Zuigi, outranking Zod." He crossed his none existent arms and turned around.

"No more, huh fruit cup? How about one about mah slowness?"

He would have liked to have said that he was as slow as an ill exercised man in a pool of maple syrup, but there would have been no point. No point at all.

There was no fun. No good company. What he wouldn't give for someone to insult and pretend it didn't bother them instead of someone who actually wasn't bothered by something he said.

But he smiled again. If there was one thing he learned, it was nothing was for certain. Nothing could be predicted. Not even his eternal torment. And with his new cell mate, that left as many possibilities as an old man had back hairs.

And just in time. His new friend was waking up.

"Ugh…" the cyborg said as he made to rub his head, but was impaired by handcuffs. "What happened? Where am I?"

"You're in inter-dimensional prison, you dolt," came a voice from the other side of the hall.

"Ah, Grimer," he said. "You can be as venomous as scorpion stew."

"What? Grimer?" the cyborg stood up, having a hard time doing so at a ninety degree angle.

"You are currently, as the green-meanie said, in dimensional prison," he said. "You were brought in with said green person."

"So, what are ya in fer?" a slow voice said from nearby in the next cell.

"Who was that?" the cyborg asked.

"Oh, that was just Charlie. Ignore him, he's a little cranky over being here for the past one-hundred billion years."

"What?!" the cyborg screamed.

"Why, yes. In this dimension, it's impossible to die, as it is purgatory's purgatory. You and I are permanent cell mates for eternity."

The cyborg's eyes widened, and his body shook from the terror he was obviously feeling. "What! No! That can't be! I thought- I mean- I'm not that bad!"

"It does not matter," he said, his happy tone not faltering in the slightest bit. "The cops are as cruel as a drunken father to his wife and child. We are trapped. Stranded! We are as likely to get out of here as you are to get a three year old would eat his vegetables."

For the first time in a great while, he had some entertainment. The cyborg, hit from this cruel reality as if the blow was given to him by a champion boxer, became delirious.

"No!" the cyborg cried as he banged at the cell bars. "I'm not that evil! I'm not that evil!"

What fun!

-break-

"So, I started killing anyone dumb enough to face me. They all thought they were so superior. I was too much for them, though. But, the thing is, I didn't actually try to kill them all. I only killed a few to scare the rest of. I tried to mutilate them in the most vicious way possible, like driving a pole through a guy's skull. It would have been wrong to flat out destroy them. The craziest thing is that I didn't even kill them all. The rain did. The only reason I'm here is because I have some robotic parts from another dimension."

"It is too bad for you, then. Fate can be like an unpopular restaurant, at times."

"How?"

"What do you mean 'how?'?"

"That one's not quite as obvious as the usual metaphors you use. Care to elaborate for the stupid?"

The jester he was looking at looked a little thoughtful. It was kind of hard to tell, since he was always smiling and wearing a lot of make-up. Or maybe that was a mask.

He was actually a very interesting character to look at. Half of his face was white and the other was black. Olric could not say what side specifically, though. It always seemed that whatever side of his face was closer was black. This made his nose always appear black. His face resembled a theatre mask, more specifically the kind used to portray the happy character that no one thinks about. Another interesting thing was his eyes, and his mouth. His mouth was only visible when he spoke, and when he did he was smiling as wide as a crescent moon. His eyes were shaped the same way, but were upside down in comparison. The eye on the white side was black while the eye on his black side was yellow, it being left or right changing as he moved. Despite this artistic failure at creating a yin-yang, it was not displeasing to the eye, and appeared to fit just right.

To add to his theatre portrayal, he wore a jester hat, made of five diamond like shapes. To be honest, he was shaped very geometrically. He was blocky, and looked as if… as if he were from a world where people were made out of pieces paper stacked on top of each other to make a person. Anyway, his hat was made of these shapes, three being purple, two being a nearly white yellow, and complete with oddly shaped bells. He wore a jester's dress thing-y of the same alternating colors as his hat with a large collar. His pants, which were completely black, were something like an Arabic garment that poofed up at the bottom, but again his blocky structure made it geometrically shaped. His shoes were also black and resembled traditional jester wear, geometrically of course.

"Hmm… Well, fate is like a strange unpopular restaurant filled with odd waiters who bring you things you never asked for and don't always like," the jester said with a nod.

Olric nodded in response. "Right. So, you know me a little better. What's your name?"

The jester smil-was already smiling. "Ah, ha, ha, ha. My name is a great name. A name you should remember well. I am the master of Dimensions… the Pleaser of Crowds… I am-"

Suddenly someone banged on the bars of their cell, interrupting the jester's little introduction. "Hey-a, nobody like you stupid a-show," a tall cop with a big nose and a well kept mustache said to the jester.

The Jester finally pulled out his hands, which had black gloves(?) and had a ring around each wrist, and gave a silly little bow. "Ah, Zuigi, why must you ruin my small performance? It is the only fun I can have in this dismal place."

"Can it. Nobody-a like your show anyway." With that, Zuigi walked off.

"He doesn't like you very much," Olric pointed out.

"Oh, he's just mad because I tried to use his dimensional counterpart to destroy all of existence."

"Eh, say what now?"

"Let me tell you my story now. You see, I was once a jester for a Count whose heart had been broken by the belief that the love of his life had been destroyed. Because of this, he became bent on destroying all of existence, feeling nothing held any worth. He used a book that could predict the future to try and end all worlds, and I was helping him. I worked in the background, though, trying to defeat him with the power of a few heroes, and then grab the power the Count was using myself, and make the perfect world. But, alas, I was stopped by the power of love, and I was destroyed, and existence was saved.

"I died and was sent to the Underwhere, where I was tried by its ruler to determine whether I would be punished or be rewarded. They had a hard time figuring it out, as my actions were vile but my actions were not vile. As I had destroyed nothing myself, I had no sins to weigh. To add to this, I had about five hundred years of community service under my figurative belt. As I was too dangerous to leave in an open dimension, they threw me in here. In my opinion, this place is worse. We don't need to eat, or sleep. We just exist. And that's as boring as giving your grandmother a sponge bath."

"But… that's not boring. That's horrible."

"Exactly."

Olric sighed. "So, what was with the 'Master of Dimensions' thing? Are you a magician or something?"

"Why, yes! I am a dimensional wizard! And, of course, my favorite pastime… is magic! I can warp out of dimensions and into another as easy as one can trip down the stairs." The jester frowned, his eyes becoming as upside down as his smile. "Or at least I could."

"Why not now? Is it those cuffs? They're stopping my arm from using its full power."

"Bah!" the jester said in spite. "Their technology is not what stops me. This dimension's properties do. This world's science is like a rush hour traffic jam on the busiest highway imaginable."

"Frozen?"

"Correct. The pathways that lead out are jammed, and my normal magic is shut off. If I could get far enough away from this place, I could simply warp away and take us to your world. They'd never be able to track us, not if they can't track him."

"Shut-up," called Grimer.

"Make me."

"So jester guy, do you regret?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you feel bad about what you did? At all? I mean, I enjoy destroying people and dancing in their blood, but I know it's wrong and try to fight it. Do you regret almost destroying everything?"

The jester paused, as if he had never thought about it before.

"It is very difficult to make one's way in the world without being wicked at one time or another, when the world's way is so wicked to begin with."

"That's deep."

"Yes, I suppose it is."

"Well, why are you like this? What did the world do to you that was so wicked? I was an outcast, and the only way for me to get people to listen was to scare them. What about you?"

"A book I read, filled with bitter truths of the worlds, once said 'one cannot spend forever sitting and solving mysteries of one's history'. I'd rather we use my clever plan that I came up with to escape rather than sit and talk anymore about my past and your friend with the chosen one."

"But how can we escape? These cuffs impair my arm and you're magic-less."

The jester's face became happy. "Silly boy. Physics will always exist even in the most bizarre of places." The jester leaned in closer to Olric so as to whisper. "You still have claws. If you use them to slice my cuffs, I can get the keys from a guard, and we can escape."

Olric's eyes widened and he looked at his metal hand. They were still sharp without his strength. Then, Olric looked worried. "And what if we do escape? You'll try to destroy existence again."

"I swear on my career as a jester that I'm done with trying to destroy worlds. I've learned that such a feat is impossible as long as there is free will. And a will is as difficult to break as a steel tooth. Hard to reach in the first place, and pointless to destroy anyway."

"You swear that if we go to my world you won't try to break it?"

"I swear." The jester looked out the bars. "No one's watching. Let's begin."

-break-

Zuigi walked and whistled. Whistled and walked. Down the hall. The boring hall filled with prisoners. He was always stuck watching the prisoners. They could just leave them here and they'd never escape. But no, he was stuck in here while Zario and Zonic were off fighting in the current battle, taking all the credit. He could help out just as easily, and probably kick more behind. Even Zod, who he outranked, was off fighting now.

But Zuigi was here, making his rounds through the hall. He looked at each prisoner, some stuck by themselves, some with a cellmate, all with no hope.

"I have feelings too, you know," said one particular prisoner as Zuigi walked by.

"Eh?" Zuigi asked as he paused. "Oh, it's-a only you."

"I'm a person, you know. I feel just like you."

"Guilt doesn't really seem-a you kind a thing, Dimmy."

"Ah, ha, ha, ha. Dimmy. I like it. In any case, I never said I felt guilt. All I said is that I feel."

"Like what?"

"Oh, I don't know. Joy is my usual one. But I can also feel sad." The jester frowned to demonstrate. "And I can feel hurt. And angry."

Zuigi stepped closer to the cell the jester was in. "What are you feeling now?

"Hmm… rage I suppose."

Olric looked up from his bed. "Be careful, man, this guy can be real dangerous when he's mad."

"You don't-a look very angry to-a me."

"That would ruin the surprise."

"Surprise?"

The jester grabbed Zuigi's collar with his free hands that had been hidden in his veil. "Surprise!" With a great amount of force the jester banged Zuigi's head into the bars of his cell, creating a great 'bang' for all nearby to hear.

Zuigi moaned and fell down in a heap. The jester kept his smile up. "And like a magician to his unsuspecting audience, I have tricked you." The jester grabbed a card key type thing from Zuigi's pocket.

Olric looked only slightly mortified. "Dude, that's cold. Is he dead?"

A little bit of blood oozed from Zuigi's helmet.

"He would be if we were in a normal dimension. But, as we are not, he is just in great pain." The jester waved the card over Olric's cuffs and they sprung open. He then waved the card in front of the door's lock, and they stepped out, having a little trouble moving because of the ninety degree angle they were standing/floating in. The jester reached into Zuigi's pocket and pulled out two silver rings, clasping one on Olric's flesh hand and one on his own wrist. The next thing they knew, they were standing upright.

"Hey!" Grimer called from his cell. "What about us!"

"You have done nothing but bother me," the jester said. "For that reason, you and your red robot buddy may rot like a sandwich forgotten in the back of a refrigerator." The jester giggled and jumped in the air…

… only to land on his face.

"Ouch…" the jester moaned.

"Let me guess: you can normally fly and you forgot that your magic has been switched off."

The jester stood up and dusted himself off. "We all make mistakes." With that, the jester and Olric started to run.

Zuigi, who was still semi conscious, was now blistering mad. Not at the escapees, though. He was even madder at his commanding officers. In an evil irony, if he hadn't been there for the jester to attack, they would not have escaped.

The worst part was… his mustache was ruined.

-break-

The jester and Olric ran through the battlefield, the jester huffing noticeably.

"It's been so long since I've run that I forgot what it was like!" the jester cried out in glee.

Olric ducked under a blast of light. "Yeah? When was the last time you ran through a bunch of lasers?"

"Less sarcasm, more nimble jumping." The jester stepped to the side as a blast came at him.

"Get back here!" Zonic cried out as he continued to fire.

"The road's up ahead!" shouted Olric in a panic. "If we reach it, will you be able to use your power?"

"Most definitely! But why aren't you shooting at him?"

"Oh, right." Olric's mechanical hand became a machine gun, and he began to shoot rapidly at Zonic. Zonic side stepped left and right avoiding the shots, but he was slowed down considerably doing so.

The jester pumped out all the physical force he could muster, trying to make it to the road. Only a little closer. A little more…

Olric shot another round of bullets.

A little closer…

Zonic fired one last shot.

There!

The jest rose up in the air and turned. Zonic came to a screeching halt and began to run in the other direction. But he froze suddenly. He could no longer move.

"Ah, ha, ha, ha. What is the matter, Zone Cop? You appear to have yourself as immovable as a child who refuses to brush his teeth." The jester brought two fingers together.

Snap!

The ground beneath Zonic cracked, and he fell. Through the road. Hanging over the seemingly bottomless pit of dimensional insanity.

The jester's grin seemed brighter as he performed a little flip in mid-air. "At last! I have returned at full force! I am as lively as a crying child that has just been born. I'm free to… that's funny. Where is the sound of a cyborg asking if I killed the cop?" The jester looked at the ground. And he frowned.

Olric had fallen to the ground, not moving. The jester floated up to him. "Olric? Are you alright?" The jester shook Olric slightly, then roughly, flipping him over. The left side of his face had been singed, leaving him without a cheek, an ear, and some of his hair.

The jester did not gasp. Nor did he flinch. This was nothing compared to some things he had seen (and caused himself). But… they were no longer in the No Zone. If Olric died here, on the Cosmic Highway… he'd just vanish.

"Olric…" the jester began. "Remember when I said I can't feel guilt? I was not lying. I do not feel guilt as I look at you. But… I feel pity. And you helped me. Though I paid you back by helping you escape as well… it would hardly mean anything if you could not enjoy it." The jester waved a hand over Olric. "Yes, I can feel where you are from. A side dimension of sorts, but still very structural." The jester snapped his fingers-

Snap!

-And he and Olric, in a square shaped 'poof' of sorts, vanished.

-break-

The jester looked at his handy work.

_'Olric the Cyborg-_

_Your heart was as big as you were foolish._

_I never regret… so I do not regret making your acquaintance._

_Some say life is like a book, with chapters for events in your life and a limitless number of pages to spend your time. I have learned that this is untrue. A book is like life, a particularly good one, worth staying up all night to finish reading.'_

It was a pinnacle of his artistic skill. A stone of pure metal, protected by his magic against all forms of nature. An unnatural material, of an unnatural mind, of an unnatural resident. And nothing natural could stand against it.

Alone in the graveyard of this bizarre castle surrounded and filled with dead bodies, he was having a hard time not going off to look for whoever had done this so he could meet them. But now was a moment of the utmost seriousness.

"What an irony. You helped kill the people here. You, an unlawful fugitive of right and wrong. They have no headstone. You die from a 'cop', a supposed protector of peace. You get a stone. I hope you appreciate it. You deserve to be Overthere…"

And the jester returned to smiling. "And I will keep my promise to you. I will not try to erase the worlds and replace them with a perfect one. No… I'll _make_ a world _perfect_. Ah, ha, ha, ha…" With that, the jester vanished.

**Name the Third: The Ultimate Knight… This is who I am**

Snively was going to die. He was falling from about one-hundred feet in the air and he was going to die.

There was no stopping it. His life flashed before his eyes…

He forgot. Aside from his uncle's abuse, he had no life.

The ground was coming up fast. He closed his eyes and prepared for the end. Any last regrets? None exactly.

Well… he did regret not standing up to his uncle before all this craziness started. Deep down, he knew this- from Sonic's speed to Chaos's unleashed rage to Dark Gaia breaking free- was his fault. If only he had said-

"Noooooooooooooooooooo!" Snively screamed.

And then… thump.

Snively shivered uncontrollably, unable to comprehend that he was still alive.

"You okay?" Sonic asked earnestly to the midget in his arms.

Snively opened a single eye to see if that was a hallucination he had heard. Nope. Sonic was holding him, and had caught him apparently.

"Dear lord!" Snively screamed as he flailed about. "I thought I was dead!"

"Yeah," Sonic began, sounding embarrassed. "I probably should have warned you about that one."

Snively jumped out of Sonic's arms and felt himself over, making sure he wasn't dreaming. "Couldn't we have taken a magic carpet like last time?"

"I thought you said you didn't believe in magic," Sonic said jokingly as he prodded Snively with a finger.

Snively swatted away Sonic's hand. "And why should I have? It's not exactly like I'd ever ridden a magic carpet, been pulverized by rising out of sand pillars, or been crammed into a flying pot. To add to that, I got to meet a _genie_. I'd be an idiot to _not_ believe in magic. It's one more thing I have to be cautious about."

Sonic smirked and readjusted his suit's power level. "Aww, come on, I'm just messing with you. Besides, it's not like they had magic carpets in the middle ages. I mean, I didn't actually read the stories, but you know…"

Snively rolled his eyes and looked around. "The middle ages… so, we're in the land of the great sword Caliburn and the Holy Grail?"

Sonic looked confused. "Uh, wasn't it the sacred sword Excalibur?"

Snively scoffed, "Only illiterate imbeciles believe that the sword is Excalibur. That's the western name given to it when the stories were transferred there. The true name is Caliburn."

Sonic raised a brow in realization. "Well, that makes a whole lot of sense now. Well, let's get going. We got to grab Caliburn and run."

Sonic and Snively began to walk down the dirt road that led to the castle beyond. "What do you mean by picking up Caliburn? Only King Arthur can use that sword's power."

Sonic smirked. "I know that."

Snively's looked skeptical. "Are you trying to tell me _you_ are King Arthur?"

"Well, if you want to get technical. I keep trying to tell them that I'm King Sonic, but they won't stop calling me Arthur. Whatever works for them."

Snively remained in a look of unbelieving. But stranger things had happened thus far. "I'll believe it when I see it."

-break-

"Father!" Galahad cried out into the great chamber.

"Chaos bolt!" A bolt of red light barely missed Galahad's helmet.

Lancelot turned to his son, lifting his own helmet and revealing a very unfriendly face. "How many times have I told you, boy: do not disturb me while I am practicing my magic."

Galahad, not taking off his helmet as to hide his cowering face from his father, spoke up. "But Sir! The King has returned!"

Sir Lancelot appeared surprised, while an old sounding voice came from his back. "So, Knave has decided to return? I wonder if he'll actually stay this time."

"Unlikely," Sir Lancelot said as he began to walk with his son. "He is as the wind, forever moving, forever swaying. He has no regard for anything, as the wind has nowhere to go." Sir Lancelot huffed.

"I wonder why he has returned," Sir Galahad stated. "I had heard he had no reason."

"He had a reason, my son," Sir Lancelot pointed out in spite. "His reason was to the Kingdom. All his talk… 'for the kingdom and its people'… and he doesn't even serve the people. He runs off to his world."

"Father?"

Sir Lancelot sighed. "Forgive me, Galahad. I have not been myself since…" Lancelot closed his eyes.

Galahad nodded understandingly. "Yes, father."

"You'd do well to show your best face," the old voice spoke again. "Or at least put your helmet back on. You know how Sonic reacts to bad memories."

"I also find it unfair that he made me the king in his stead. He only stuck around as long as there were things he could stab at. Once he was asked to deal with a kingdom's true problems like food supply and water, he runs off."

"Father, please try to calm yourself. You know that he is still the King. As long as only he can use Caliburn's true power, he holds the real reign over this land."

"Hmff," Lancelot grumbled.

Sir Lancelot and Galahad stepped out into the castle's garden, where a great many people had stepped out to greet their king returned. Sonic was swarmed by the many people and he grinned in obvious pleasure from the worship.

For a great while, Lancelot had held spite for the blue hedgehog. He had been marinating in his anger, waiting to let it out at that smug grin of his. But that grin… something was off. It was not the grin of a cocky fool. Nor was it the grin of a warrior in need of desperate help. It was… what was it?"

"Hey, Lancelot!" Sonic called with a wave. Lancelot noticed Sonic wearing a completely black suit of sorts.

"Is he wearing armor?" Caliburn asked as he tried to move around in his improvised sheath. "He never wore clothing before."

Galahad held a hand over his mask so as to block out the sun. "It would appear that he has brought a small human with him. And that the human is being trampled."

Snively crawled out of the mess of plant people, covered in dirt and the like. As soon as he was far enough, he stood back up and walked over to Lancelot and Galahad and gave a bow. "I take it you are Sir Lancelot?" asked Snively in his nasally voice.

Sir Lancelot crossed his arms. "It is more polite to introduce one's self before asking other people what and if their names are."

Galahad stepped forward slightly. "Forgive my father," he said with a bow. "He has been treated wrongly by the Kings of Camelot. I am Galahad."

Snively nodded. "Yes, Sir Lancelot's son. I am Snively, Sonic's temporary assistance. Since Sonic is busying himself with his usual antics, I would like to request that we have Caliburn and we'll be on our way."

Lancelot growled and pulled the sheath he had been wearing off forcefully and flung it to Galahad. "That's all he's ever good at. Making a quick scene and then running off to who knows where." With that, Lancelot stomped away.

"Forgive him," Caliburn the Sword said, earning a squeal from Snively.

"Aahhh! You talk!"

"Naturally. I take it you are new to our kingdom?"

"Yes. It's my first time to the middle ag- I mean Camelot."

"Do not worry yourself. We know we are in a story book, or at least on the other end of a great deal of books."

"You know this? How?"

"Our witch," Galahad answered. "When she nearly destroyed our world, it was made apparent to us all here."

"Would you like to hear a story?" Caliburn asked, to which Snively nodded. "Then come inside and feast. It is a long tale and will take a time to tell."

"What about Sonic?" Snively asked as he turned around. Sonic gave a manly pose. "Never mind."

-break-

Snively took a bite of chicken and swallowed, wiping his mouth with a napkin after. "Quite the story you have told me, if I am to believe it. I understand why Sir Lancelot is so distraught. Years of faithful service… only to have his friend be nothing more than an illusion."

Caliburn nodded to the best of his ability. "Many people were devastated, Lancelot most of all. To add to this, Sonic ran off. Lancelot is still living in the illusion and does not believe that Sonic is a worthy holder for my power."

Snively nodded. "I'd have to agree with him. I don't know if you know Sonic as anything other than cocky and annoying, but past being a hero, he's not so great of a person."

"I would disagree. Sonic is a knight of great chivalry and heroism. He nearly died trying to save the kingdom."

Maybe before…

Galahad cleared his throat. "If I may, Great Sword, I am late for my lessons with Percival. May I be excused?"

"Take your leave. And send Percival's brother my regards."

Galahad bowed to the floating sword and left Snively and Caliburn alone.

"So, Merlin created Arthur because no one could pull you from the stone?"

"That is correct. If a king was not crowned soon, the kingdom would have been destroyed. So he made one up."

"All he did was prolong the end, though. I can see that from Merlina's point of view. Still… a great story has to have an end."

Before either of them could say anything, Sonic ran in and caused many loose things to fall from the force of his stop. "Jeez, man, what's up with lance-you-a-lot? He's moodier than the other guy I know that looks like him."

"Sonic," Snively began as he set his bone down. "Do you know anything about the stories of King Arthur?"

"I said I haven't read the book," Sonic said matter of fact-ly.

"In the stories, Lancelot and King Arthur were best friends. Caliburn told me of your adventure in this world."

Sonic thought about that for a moment, then looked a little sorrowful. "Oh, I get it. I guess I'd be cheesed off if my best friend turned out to be totally fake."

Caliburn floated nearer to Sonic. "Please, Knave, tell me why you have returned?"

"I thought I was a knight, letter opener!"

"Yes, but to me, you always be my bumbling knave."

Sonic ground his teeth in a fake way. "Yeah whatever. I need your help. Can you come with me to my world?"

Caliburn raised a brow, despite being made of metal and having no real brow. "I could. But why?"

"Sonic has a foe that is getting in his way" Snively answered in a slight smug fashion.

Sonic coughed. "_Not_ getting in my way. Taking my place. He's a guy made of nothing but metal. He's trying to become me, but I don't know why."

_You liar. You know perfectly well why he wants to take your place._

"He's taken my friends."

_Earned them better than you did._

"Taken my title."

_I do believe you did that a while ago._

"And I don't have the power to stop him. But with you at my side, I can."

Caliburn looked thoughtful. "I suppose. It's not like I've had anything better to do."

"Great!" Sonic cheered as he grabbed Caliburn's handle. "Let's get going."

"Hold on," said Snively. "I'd like to stay a night. I'm tired and I want to see this kingdom anyway."

"Yes, you should stay, Sonic. You know your loyal followers would love it."

Sonic grinned. "Why not? One night won't kill me."

_Depends on what you mean by 'knight'._

"Excellent," stated Snively. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll go inquire for a room." Snively stood up, leaving his plate of gristle and silverware, and walked out of the banquet hall.

After Snively had walked a few steps, he was grabbed and pulled into a shadow. He yelped out in surprise, but there was already a cold metal hand over his mouth.

"Listen well," a voice said into Snively's ear. "Do not ask why I know that what Sonic says is a lie. I just do. Now tell me. I promise you won't be hurt and I'll protect you. Is Sonic actually going to fight an enemy of his who he loathes?"

Snively, sweating a great deal, nodded.

"Is Sonic doing something noble?"

Snively shook his head.

"Is he threatening you?"

Another nod.

"This conversation did not occur. Understand?"

A final nod, and Snively was pushed back into the light. Snively turned to his capturer, but he was already gone.

-break-

Lancelot stood on top of the castle, contemplating. He swore to never be a king like Arthur. But he needed to make a new pledge. Never let there be a king like Arthur. A being who was made of lies to get was once desired, even if for the best.

So he made his decision. He would tell no one, and under the cover of un-suspicion, he would vanish.

He would follow Sonic to his world.

-Author's Note-

Everybody begin the bloodshed.

For those of you who know who don't know who 'the jester' is, chalk him up as another fan character and move on. For those of you who do, you may either applaud at my brilliance or flame me for my stupidity. Take your pick. And that Caliburn thing is the truth. Look it up if you don't believe me.

This is probably the chapter in which the madness sets in. This one little chapter starts about five branching and interweaving subplots. Just wait; things will become crazy.

Sincerely,  
>The Conflicted Writer<p> 


	44. Just Another Day Done Differently

Thou art such a pain in the… hey! I'm starting to talk like you!  
>~Sabin, <em>Final Fantasy VI<em>

**Just Another Day… Done Differently**

Metal looked at his hand, then at his opponent. He was worried. His opponent had an advantage. Instead of having a face that told nothing at all, his could lie.

"I'll see your thousand," Vector said with a grin, "And raise it by two more."

Metal thought that over for a moment. That was a good deal of money. He looked at his cards. A four, a king, an ace, and a pair of eights. Not the best hand ever, but decent enough.

Metal looked at the crocodile, unable to completely concentrate. He was still a little distraught.

"Well?" Vector asked impatiently as he drummed his fingers on the table. "What do ya do?"

Metal sighed and placed his cards on the table. "I fold. I'm not about to lose a bet like this."

Vector grinned and presented his hand. A two, a six, a jack, a ten, and a seven. Metal had lost to a hand of trash.

Metal's electronic eyes crossed. "I hate you."

"Ya say that every time I beat you. Doesn't make it true."

"Who says? I can still hate you and enjoy you as a friend."

Vector scooped all the poker chips into a bag, looking quite smug. "Yeah, whatever. Just remember that I like my jewels shiny."

Metal performed his false sigh. "I miss Silver playing with us. It was so funny when he tried to sneak an ace out of the deck."

"You almost shot him once for that."

"Yeah, good times."

Vector rolled his eyes. "You know you can visit them."

"I know, but I miss them being here. I mean…" Metal paused and looked up. "She was special to me."

_Metal and Henry walked up the fiery path, Mephiles wheezing behind them. "Why did it have to be on the peak? And of a volcano no less?"_

_Henry chuckled. "What's a matter? To hot fer ya?"_

_"No," Mephiles replied, annoyed. "I cannot get hot. But I can get fatigued. And dead. I can get dead, too."_

_Metal looked around, his eyes doing something technological. "We are not alone."_

_"We eren't?" asked Henry._

_Metal pointed up at a cat nimbly leaping from rock to rock, coming closer to them._

_"She has the stone," Mephiles stated, surprised. "Why?"_

_"Prepare for battle," stated Metal as he gripped his sword._

_The cat landed, in a blaze of flames in front of them. Metal vaguely recognized her. It was, however, Mephiles that said her name._

_"Blaze?" Mephiles asked._

_The cat frowned. "I'm glad you remember me."_

_"You remember me?"_

_"Yes."_

_Metal looked back and forth at Mephiles and Blaze, easily putting the pieces of this conversation together. "You are from the timeline Mephiles is from," Metal stated._

_Blaze nodded. "I've come to help you."_

_Henry smiled, and Metal and Mephiles wished they could look confused._

_"Why?" Mephiles asked._

_"Why shouldn't I?" Blaze asked in return, appearing offended._

_"Don't you hate me?" asked Mephiles._

_Blaze closed her eyes and held out a shining red stone. "If I did, your 'brother' would be here now, wouldn't he?"_

_Mephiles shrunk a bit. "I'm sorry."_

_"I know that."_

_"You do?" asked Metal in surprise. "Do you forgive him?"_

_"For what?"_

_There was a moment of silence._

_"Well?"_

_Metal shook his head. "You do not know what happened."_

_"No. All I know is that I have his brother in me. And he's sad. I bet Mephiles is too."_

_Mephiles bent his head low._

_"Okay," stated Henry as he fanned himself with a fan he had pulled from his pocket. "It __is__ a little hot up here. Can we talk somewhere else?"_

_"Yes," Blaze said as she gave the stone to Mephiles. "Unless your leader has any objection?" She turned to Metal._

_Metal sounded surprised. "You think I'm the leader?"_

_"You are the one who mediated this conversation. And you seem intelligent."_

_Metal bowed slightly, the only way he could think of to say thank you properly._

"She looked at me like I was a person despite my metal body. Most of who I meet see me as an object first, a person last." Metal looked back down. "It's strange. After traveling with her for so long, I'd come to always expect her to be here. I knew she'd go back. I just wasn't ready for it."

Vector nodded. "Yeah, I know what you mean. I'm still not used to not having Charmy around to bug me. I guess I did the same thing, taking him for granted."

Then a crash came from nearby.

"Great," said Metal. "Knuckles is cooking again."

"I still can't believe he's a vegetarian."

"Seriously. I always assumed he was a steak kind of guy."

Knuckles shoved Storm aside, baring his teeth and namesakes threateningly at the albatross. "You can make your sandwich as soon as I finish my salad!"

"But you take too long!" Storm whined. "I mean, how long does it take to slice some lettuce up?"

"It takes a while, 'tard. This stuff has no flavor, and you guys _never_ buy fruit. I need to season it properly!"

Storm growled. "But you can move so I can get some ham, can't you?"

Omega turned his head away from the T.V. and the news he was _trying_ to watch and looked over towards the kitchen. "I am attempting to watch Channel Five news," he stated tonelessly.

"Not until I'm done with my lunch, birdbrain!"

"Let me get some meat!" Storm yelled.

"Meat's bad for you anyway. Let me finish."

"Give me my ham!"

Omega shook his eye lenses as best as he could and stood up. With the heavy 'clumps' his feet made, he walked into the kitchen.

"Stay out of this, trash can," Knuckles warned as he shook a fist.

Storm, on the other hand; "Tell him that he sucks and make him share the counter!"

Omega shoved both of them aside forcefully. His hand began spinning rapidly. With precision only a machine like him could have, Omega began slicing the lettuce. In four seconds he had it in a bowl and was tossing seasonings in. With his other sharp and pointy hand he began assembling a ham and cheese (and lettuce) sandwich on wheat bread.

In an instant, Knuckles and Storm's meals of choice were done and Omega walked back into the sitting room. Shadow, rather randomly, pressed a button on a stopwatch, seeming impressed. "He's getting faster."

Storm shrugged and went to eating. Knuckles appeared to want to find something to be angry at but found nothing. He sighed and stuck his fist into his salad, grabbing some leaves with his spikes.

"Mmm, not bad."

Elsewhere…

"I don't know about this…" Tails said as he stared at his big fisted opponent."

"There's nothing to worry about," Mephiles said sincerely with a nod. "He's a tough little- I mean, big hedgewolf thing."

Sarsar stuck his tongue out in a goofy fashion as he punched the air and danced around a bit.

"No, I mean, I don't know how to shoot lightning."

"And that's why we're practicing. Don't worry; we have total confidence in your abilities."

"Really?"

"Of course." Mephiles took a step back and whispered, "Ready with the first aid kit, Iblis?"

Iblis said nothing. At least, it seemed that way.

"Iblis?" Mephiles looked over. The cat was looking out the window at nothing in particular. The first aid box that Mephiles mentioned was forgotten on the ground. "Erg."

"Okay," Tails sighed. "I can do this. I can make lightning." Tails stuck out his hand and pointed it at Sarsar, who held his large fists in defense.

Tails concentrated. He began to sweat.

Mephiles tapped his foot.

Iblis continued to look off to who knew where.

Sarsar brought his fists down and raised a brow.

"I don't think this is working," Tails grunted.

"Come on, you can do it," Mephiles said as an energy bolt formed in his hand. "Focus the power. Feel it course through your body. When it builds in the spot you want to release, concentrate on your target. Envision it being struck by the power, being destroyed beneath your mighty strength." Mephiles stared at Sarsar for a moment. "Chaos Spear!" The blast of energy in Mephiles' hand shot out at Sarsar. Sarsar held up an arm and the blast struck it.

"Do you feel the power?"

Tails clenched his teeth and concentrated as hard as his mind would allow. He envisioned Sarsar being hit by the lightning. It striking Sarsar. Sarsar holding up his arms to block. The lightning going right through Sarsar. Sarsar spazzing out because it had gone through his heart…

"No!" Tails yelled, unaware he _had_ formed lightning in his hand. He pulled his hand away, now pointing in any other direction except for Sarsar.

"Wuh oh," stated Mephiles.

Metal walked through the hall, Vector not far behind. His intention was to find out why it had gone quiet without him being the one to make it quiet. As fate seemed to have it out for him, a blast of lightning exploded from the wall and hit him, knocking him into the living quarters. Vector gaped at the hole Metal's body had made and then at the hole the lightning blast had made. Mephiles and Tails were looking back at him, Tails terrified out of his wits. Mephiles appeared indifferent.

"Nice one," Mephiles said as he felt the wall. "That had to have been about a thousand volts at least."

Metal had landed on the couch next to Omega amazingly, the lights in his lenses fading in and out. Omega looked over at him. "Greetings, Metal. Are you still functional?"

"Ctrl, alt, del." Metal more or less said. "Ctrl, alt, del."

"Ohmygosh!" Tails yelled in a frenzy as he leaped through the two walls. "Metal, are you okay!"

"E-em-emeralds. Henry. Sonic equals speed. Chaos coding. The Sonic is a lie."

Shadow stepped up to Metal and placed a hand to his chin. "Huh?"

"That's weird," Mephiles said as he walked into the room as well.

"Robo-Kinto-Robo-Kinto. Rotten egg means bad effect. Speed equals keed."

"What the hell is he saying?" Knuckles demanded more than asked, his mouth full of produce.

Metal's head slumped forward then rose back up with his eyes turned back on.

"Whoa… so that's what it's like to get hit with lighting." Metal stood back up shakily, giving off a few sparks of electricity.

"Are you alright?" Mephiles asked as he was about to touch Metal, only to be shocked by the aftereffect. "Ow! That hurt."

Everyone, except Omega, took a cautious step back from Metal. Metal shrugged. "I'm sure that will wear off."

"I'm so sorry," Tails said pleadingly. "I didn't mean to hit you. I didn't want to hit anyone. I was just…" Tails trailed off as he looked down and took another step back.

Metal waved his hand to show that he was waving it off. "It's fine. We're still in the developmental stage with your abilities. A few misfires are bound to happen."

This whole time, Storm had his mouth hung wide open in astonishment. Now he felt like speaking. "The boss is gonna explode when he sees this."

Mephiles cleared his non-existent throat. "I do believe that we are getting closer to Central City. We should probably prepare to depart. Just three of us so we can make it quick."

"Right," said Metal. "Volunteers?"

"I'll… I'll stay behind," said Tails sadly as he turned to walk out the hole in the wall he had made.

"I think you and Iblis should go," said Shadow. "That way, if Metal's communicator isn't working right, you can contact us for back-up."

"It will take more than a lightning bolt to break me," said Metal proudly. "I am the product of the greatest minds in the world."

"Really? I don't suppose Eggman is one of those minds?" Vector joked as he was about to pat Metal on the back but stopped before being electrocuted.

Metal, in his mind, wasn't exactly sure how to respond to that. Eggman _was_ his original creator. If it wasn't for some brilliant design- or incredible blunder- of his, Metal might not be here now with all of his friends.

"Who's going to pay for this?!" Storm yelled.

"You can tell Jet that he can add this to my bill, alright?" Metal said.

Storm nodded, though he still looked worried as he looked the damage over a little more closely.

Iblis walked by them all as if nothing was going on and went into the kitchen.

"Iblis," Mephiles said worryingly. "What are you doing?"

Iblis opened the fridge door and rustled some things as he searched for something.

"I thought you guys didn't eat" Shadow stated as he turned to Mephiles.

"Iblis, I thought we had agreed to save those for later," Mephiles sounded a little terrified.

Iblis pulled out a small jar filled with three tiny lights and he stared at Mephiles, his head tilted.

Mephiles slapped his face.

"What are those?" Vector asked as he pointed at the jar.

"Mephiles…" Metal angrily growled. "Are those what I think those are?"

"Um… maybe?"

"I thought we agreed that eating souls was a big no-no on the social scale."

Iblis proceeded to open the jar, but Mephiles ran up and grabbed it. "Not now, Iblis."

Iblis stared at Mephiles.

"It's a treat, Iblis, you don't need to eat."

"I'm sorry, did you just say soul?" Shadow asked in a disturbed kind of way. Sarsar came into the room now, his look asking 'why didn't Tails come back to shoot me and stuff?'

"Treat!" Vector yelled.

"Okay, fine, we can eat souls if we want to, sue us."

"Isn't that kind of… wrong?" said Shadow in a 'duh' kind of way.

"Give me the jar," Metal demanded as he held out his hand.

Mephiles held the jar close. "No."

"But it's a damned soul, man."

"Exactly. That's something no one ever thinks about when they read about someone who eats the souls of the damned. It's a damned soul, right? Who cares what happens to it? If it was good soul, that would be one thing, but it's an evil rotting soul that the world would be better off without."

Everyone capable of doing so in that room shrugged and scratched their heads. That was a valid point.

"Right," said Vector. "Uh… if you don't mind, I'd like to go outside. I've been cooped up in here too long." Vector gulped. "I'm sorry, but that's just plain creepy."

Knuckles nodded in agreement. "Seriously, Meph, that's pretty cluster f-" oh look, the letter f,-"ing messed up."

"Would you mind watching your mouth near Iblis? He picks up new words easily."

Even Sarsar looked confused by that statement.

"I'm gonna get my 'chute now," Vector said as he pointed his thumb away, wanting to get away from this conversation.

"I'm going to read a book," Knuckles turned around and walked through the giant hole in the wall. "Or do you want to try pool out with me, Storm? I'll be happy to take more money off your hands?"

Storm grunted. "When I win, you'll be paying me off for the next three hundred years."

"Whatever sucky Mc suck suck." With that, Knuckles ran through the hallway.

"Suck!" Storm yelled angrily as he stormed after Knuckles.

Vector ran his hand over his face and walked out himself.

Metal sighed. It seemed that as if the more they acted normal around each other, the stranger life became.

"So… how do they taste?"

"Shadow!"

"Bittersweet. Imagine something lighter than dark chocolate but darker than light."

"Mephiles!"

"What?"

"That's… It's…" Metal shook his head. "Never mind. How is Tails training coming anyway?"

"Not too well," Mephiles stated as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Training someone is a teacher's job, and none of us are certified Chaos educators."

"I'm not getting anywhere with him either," said Shadow as he crossed his arms. "He's trying, but he can't get it."

"But he shot lightning, that's a step forward," Metal said happily.

"Yes, but it barely registered on the supreme-o-meter," said Shadow. "That blast was like the energy inside a battery."

"And even still, the only reason he was able to was because I talked him through it."

Iblis reached for the jar Mephiles was holding, only to have it slapped away.

"I said no."

"Then let's not rush him," said Metal. "If he's not ready, he's not ready."

"But you were the one who said he could need to bring harmony at any time," Shadow pointed out. "Plus, he's been enthusiastic ever since you pointed out he could use chaos abilities and that he's always been using them."

"Not exactly a smart move on your part," said Mephiles as he moved the jar out of Iblis' reach again.

"I thought he knew already, dammit. In any case, I have no solution. He has to figure it out himself. There's no 'maybe's or 'if's in the situation. My only solution is to find someone who _is_ a certified Chaos Educator." Metal turned to leave the room.

"Hold on a moment," said Mephiles. Iblis grabbed Mephiles' arm in a begging like manner. "You're a cat, Iblis, yet you somehow manage to act like a puppy." Mephiles finally gave the jar over to Iblis who ran off with it gratefully. Mephiles pulled out the purple Chaos Emerald which Shadow stared at in confusion. "I know that gibberish you were speaking when Tails zapped you wasn't gibberish. Those were more memory fragments brought out from the spurt of Chaos energy his fake Emerald released."

Metal did nothing.

"Wait…" began Shadow, "You haven't touched that Emerald yet?"

"No. I haven't."

"And why not?" asked Mephiles.

"I'd rather not talk about this in front of anyone besides you two" Metal said as he pointed to Omega.

Omega looked over. "I will tell no one."

"And you know it doesn't matter anyway," Mephiles knowingly said. "You need to tell them all the truth."

"I don't need to."

"You do. It will bring you one step closer to understanding your opponent. And you will be able to end this fight before it begins," Mephiles said. "It may reveal why Sonic has his powers, and why you saw Eggman before in that vision."

"You don't understand," said Metal shakily. "If these recordings are of Sonic's past and I reveal them, all that will do is reveal why Sonic hates me. And if that reason isn't justifiable, it will crush the world."

"You mean Tails's?" asked Mephiles.

"…"

"You can't protect him from the truth forever. He needs to open his eyes, if he hasn't already. Sonic used the power of Dark Gaia and Tails saw it. He has living proof of it."

"But it's nice proof. It could mean that Sonic is…"

"Is what?" said Shadow. "Overreacting? He passed that when he teamed up with Eggman. Stop sheltering the kid and take the Emerald."

"You don't have to tell him yet," Mephiles said calmly. "Just take the emerald, remember a memory, and we'll wait until we find the last ones."

"I didn't tell you. I already touched the one Sonic has. It was the proof that it was Sonic's memories I have, because he went in with me. This emerald could break the last locks. I'm scared of that."

"You'll have to touch them eventually," Shadow pointed out.

"Then I'll prolong it as long as I can. I won't endanger my son's innocence anymore then it has already been."

"Waiting will only make it more painful when it finally comes out. Come Iblis." Iblis suddenly appeared next to Mephiles. "Let's get ready to depart."

As Mephiles and Iblis walked out, Shadow said, "It would be best for him to know the truth, Metal. I know you don't want to replace Sonic… but you have."

"You told me this. I am not Tails brother. I am his father."

"Then be a father to him. Sonic hid the truth. Why don't you find it and show it to him? A father lets someone know…" Shadow gulped. "Let's them know when something bad is probably going to happen."

"Shadow?"

"Give him the power to strengthen his heart for the faithful blow. He'll be better off for it. Believe me."

Metal looked at his hand for a moment. Why did he look at his hand? He wasn't too sure. But he clenched that hand, remembering how his logical mind had warned him against so many hurtful blows, even against some that never actually happened. If it wasn't for 'being warned' in a sense, he might not have been able to handle some of the blows he had been handed.

Like when his sword master had died.

"I believe you Shadow. Tonight then. I will tell Tails of what I know. And I will let him know that he has a father that is here for him no matter what. I have a request though."

"What?"

"Will you be the wise cousin?"

"… what?"

"Come oooon. Mephiles and Iblis are the crazy uncles, Knuckles is the burly brother in law, and the Rogues are the distant cousins that you aren't sure you're actually related to. All we need is the cousin that you actually know you're related to. Will you be a part of our makeshift and messed up family?"

Shadow raised a brow, his expression somewhere between intrigued and disturbed. "You are really taking this whole family thing seriously, aren't you?"

"I'm just trying to enjoy life for what it's worth. If at any moment I were to die in some fiery explosion, or someone else dies due to something that was out of my control, I want to have as few regrets as possible."

Shadow slowly nodded. "Yeah, whatever. Call me cousin Shadow, then."

"And once again, your embarrassment is justified by my mighty logic. Fear it." Metal turned and walked out of the hole in the wall.

"Stupid logic, making me feel mushy for a good reason."

Metal chuckled, but stopped abruptly when he saw Tails on the other side of the wall.

"Uh, Tails… have you been there long?"

"N-no" Tails said as if he were trying not to cry.

"Tails, are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I wanted you to have something." Tails held out what appeared to be the yellow Chaos Emerald.

"Your fake Emerald?" Metal asked, astonished that Tails would give up such a possession to him.

"It's not fake," Tails said with a smile. "It's as good as the original. Just different. I want you to have it because… well, you're special to me. And this emerald is special like you. Not original, but still great for its purpose."

Metal looked at the Synthetic Emerald, and then at Tails. "I hope you know I haven't forgotten my promise to you," said Metal as he took the Emerald, very thankful that it had no weird effect on him. "I will find you love."

Tails grin did not waver, but Metal noticed the look of sadness in Tails eyes. "I know you haven't…"

"Tails?"

"Hmm?"

"Is everything alright?"

"Yeah. It's just… I want to talk to you about something later."

"Me too, actually. When I get back, okay?"

"Okay."

Jet's voice suddenly came over the ship's intercom.

"Attention Metal head: We are now over the drop zone. Please gather all personal belongings, and don't forget your sword. Also, the damage to the wall will cost you dearly. I will kick your butt big time we duel."

"He sounds mad," noted Tails with another grin.

"I'll pay for it, damn it. No need to be all squawky about it."

-break-

Mr. Ix waited patiently, as he had been for the last twenty minutes. The Knights of Chaos' airship had been spotted awhile ago. They had called G.U.N. and reported what had happened (though Mr. Ix suspected they had left out quite a few details). He held a stack of papers in his solitary hand, filled with all the legal mumbo jumbo lawyers cared about. His sunglasses, though it was incredibly bright out despite a few clouds, were worn for an entirely different reason than most.

Mr. Ix was having a hard time right now. What with? Smiling. He was trying not to.

"There you are," he whispered to himself as three figures were walking down the street towards Mr. Ix and the large building that he worked for.

"Why are we always the 'go to it' team? Why didn't you bring Vector or Jet or Knuckles?" Mephiles asked.

"What?" Metal asked with a shrug. "You don't like sunlight?"

"Does 'Mephiles the Dark' mean anything to you?" Mephiles shielded his eyes from the sun with a hand.

Iblis pulled out an umbrella from nowhere and held it over Mephiles.

"Thank you."

"Where did you get that?" asked Metal.

Iblis stared at Metal.

"He says that's his business."

Metal scratched his head.

"Welcome, gentlemen," Mr. Ix said cheerfully as he walked up to them. "Let me be the first to say thank you for taking care of the Metallix for us. I am the Commander's personal assistant. I do not believe we had the pleasure of meeting. I am Mr. Ix. You have upped national safety by rounding up those hooligans. The Commander sends his apologies for being unable congratulate you in person, but he had a pressing matter to attend to."

"Yes, I'm sure being a jealous zealot has nothing to do with it," Metal said loudly.

"As promised, I have all your paperwork," Mr. Ix stated while ignoring Metal's comment and handing him the large stack. "Social security number, license to fly (in non-restricted zones), and other such things. You'll have to fill out a few details yourself like a birth date of your choice, but everything to prove you as a world citizen is there."

Metal's eyes scanned (both figuratively and literally) the documents Mr. Ix handed to him. In five seconds he read everything. "Hmm," Metal mumbled, sounding surprised. "No loopholes at all. You actually kept you end of the bargain."

"The Commander asks that you keep yours."

Metal pulled out a computer disc. "This is the only copy of out recorded 'conversation.' If you analyze it, you will find it is a transfer disc, meaning I have no copy in my hard drive."

Mr. Ix gave a nod. "I'll take your word for it."

Iblis tilted his head and looked over at a billboard advertising running shoes.

Mephiles took notice as well. "Those are sleek, but you know full well our forms can't be altered."

Iblis was silent.

"I'd rather not. They'll just take up space." Mephiles proceeded to walk over to Iblis, but for seemingly no reason whatsoever, he tripped. The Purple Emerald fell out of his person.

Mr. Ix walked over to the Emerald and picked it up and then helped Mephiles up the ground. "Here you are. You dropped your Chaos Emerald."

Mephiles sounded surprised as he spoke. "You aren't going to try and steal it? You are full of surprises."

"I am, aren't I?" Mr. Ix said with a kind smile.

Metal was a little stunned at Mr. Ix's behavior. No one in a government uniform was ever so helpful without a secret agenda. Was Mr. Ix trying to gain their trust and call in a favor later? Maybe he was trying to plant a tracking device on them. But a G.U.N. soldier could be doing that to the Great Babylon now. Metal knew they had jetpacks _somewhere_ in their arsenal.

On a strange impulse, Metal pulled out a pair of glasses. The one that weasel had given him. Something about the glasses and Mr. Ix seemed to remind him of something. But what. Metal was about to put the glasses on…

"Please," Mr. Ix said as he patted Metal's back with his arm stub. "Won't you join me for a complimentary meal before you have to depart?"

Metal cleared his thoughts and responded, "We would. Thing is, though, none of us here actually eat."

Mr. Ix frowned and looked at Metal, Iblis, and Mephiles in turn. "Uh… Sorry if I insulted you, then."

"We'd better go. Flying to do, Egg shaped empires to crush."

Mr. Ix nodded and walked back into the G.U.N. office building. Once inside, he ran to the nearest bathroom. If someone had been nearby, they could have heard an insane cackling echoing. Of course, no one was nearby.

"I've been thinking…" began Metal.

"When aren't you?" Mephiles asked sarcastically.

"About me and Sonic. Our relationship. My existence because of him. His past, most of all…"

"I still say he was a villain," said Mephiles. "And you hold his memories inside you."

"…"

"Silence speaks volumes, yet isn't very specific. What's on your mind?"

"It's just… if I do have Sonic's memories it shakes my beliefs in the soul. If memories can just be transferred, then where are they in relation to the soul? Can a person be brought down to simple data? What is truly the measure of life?"

"Considering I was an accident- a science related one no less- I'm not exactly in a position to be having this kind of debate."

"But… you are a son of Solaris."

Mephiles stopped walking. "Metal, that's not fair. It's not my place to divulge information of that nature to those of this plain. You must have figured this out on our journey."

"I know."

"I'm sorry, Metal. On the grand scheme of things it is not important whether you know or not."

"Hmm… We're getting off track. The Emeralds are revealing to me recordings of the past, and understanding the past will prepare me for the present and future."

"Spoken like a true ex-time traveler." Mephiles held out the Purple Emerald to Metal.

"Was it as cheesy as necessary?"

"Enough for my chili fries," Mephiles paused. "We can be real dorks at times, have you noticed?"

"Yep." Metal looked at the Emerald and then at Iblis under a tree with a blue bird on his shoulder.

"You make that reference and I will haunt your dreams."

Metal took in a fake breath and reached for the Emerald Mephiles held…

… But pulled his hand away.

"I'm sorry, Meph. Call me a coward, if you must, but I'm not ready to find out why Sonic is doing this."

Mephiles sighed and shook his head. "I can't make you hunt the truth, but the sooner you know the problem, the sooner you can find a solution."

"I don't want to judge Sonic based on his past. If I must hate him now, let it be for what's he's really done. He's done some stupid things, sure, but he still hasn't killed anyone."

"Metal, you know there's more to this than that. Remember what Solaris told us?"

"You know I can't forget."

"Then you need to remember for the sake of the world. Sonic has something the world needs to get back in order to be fixed."

"I know, I know. I wish I knew more about that. I'll do it tonight, alright? I just… this isn't fair. If Solaris expects me to fix the world, a little guidance would be nice. A clue of some sort, a divine miracle once in a while. Getting sword lessons from a forgotten knight isn't exactly what I'd call being pointed in the right direction."

"Divine miracles aren't free. You've read Iliad and the Odyssey. Perseus and Medusa. The Legend of Heracles. The Bible. You want something from the gods; you've got to earn it. Or make an offering. Freshly killed lamb is particularly popular amongst the more influential of the Omni-potent."

"… I feel like I should have some sort of response to that. I don't, sadly."

"Just think about what you're doing in the world, alright? In fact, do that right now. You've been spending a lot of time managing others. It's time you broke away from us for a bit and pulled your thoughts together."

"What, just take the night off?"

"Yes, go do that. Your thoughts go at a mile a millisecond and being on the Babylon distracts you from dealing with this issue. Go out there and be distracted by something else."

"Mephiles, the ship will go to pieces if I'm not there to mediate with you and Shadow."

"As third in command, I'm ordering you. I will get Shadow involved in this conversation, and you know what his opinion will be on this."

Metal sighed and shook his head. "Very well, if this is what I must do to get you off my back."

Mephiles pulled a handkerchief from nowhere and wrapped his Emerald in it. "Take this. Do it away from everyone else if it makes you comfortable."

Metal took the concealed Emerald. "Alright, I'll go explore the city. Don't hesitate to call me if anything happens."

"Do you really have such little faith in your crew?"

"…"

"… I'll hide all the sharp implements."

"Good man. One other thing… how serious were you about that offering thing?"

-break-

He shook his head at his own actions. "What are you doing, me? Are you really expecting this to work?"

He looked at the display before him, feeling like an idiot. It wasn't all that impressive; a bowl of chow-mien with vegetables and seasonings with a side of egg rolls. Aside from the fact that he had purchased the ingredients from a store, he had cooked and assembled them himself. A little rock stove that he had built himself burned still as it slowly cooled. It had taken a greater amount of the daylight and went deep into the night, so now an almost half moon hung in the sky.

"It's not even a full moon. You don't know if a god or spirit or whatever exists for the moon. You don't know if it'll answer you. You've wasted your time. And now you're talking to yourself. Congratulations, Metal, you're a real winner." Metal sat down and pulled out Alf Layla wa Layla. He gazed at the leather cover before looking up at the lake he had chosen. A wave of déjà vú hit him as he sat down while looking around at the grass and the few trees.

"Alright," Metal said. "If this is going to work, then let it work now." He placed the book down and put his hands on the cover.

"Cuir cloisteáil mo ghuí, Ghealach. Mar threoir chun an domhan agus a séasúir díreach mar an ghrian treoracha an domhan timpeall, ba mhaith liom tú a threorú dom. Mé a thabhairt duit béile, is mian liom tú mo eolas, is mian liom tú m'anam. Taispeáin dom comhartha; Cé mise? Cad é mo fiú? Cad é mo áit? Iarr mé mar do sheirbhíseach humble go bhfuil tú Treoraigh anois mo síos mo chosán.

"I hope I got the dialect right," Metal said. He turned off his eyes and bent his body to the ground as he'd seen monks do.

_I look like an idiot,_ Metal thought. _Please let there actually be a Moon God and I didn't just waste all my time doing this. Better yet, please let it be that _no one_ heard that._

For a long time nothing happened except that the wind blew through Metal's sensors. Metal sighed and brought himself back up. "Should have known this was a waste of time." His eyes slowly turned back on. "Wonder if there's any other god looking for a-" Metal froze at the site before him.

Resting on its haunches was a nearly completely black, nearly full sized horse with a horn sticking out of its head. Its mane, made of the same material as the night sky, was holding the bowl of chow-mien and Metal's book. It was easy to see its bright as neon, reptilian eyes move across the pages.

Every few seconds the horse would bring the bowl up to quietly suck some noodles. It did not seem to take notice of Metal as it read. Metal looked around awkwardly, wondering if he should say something. Instead he just rested on his knees, waiting for the equine to do something.

"Patience is a virtue," she said at last, revealing herself to be female with her deep but gentle tone. "Yet he who hesitates is lost. Of which is the more truthful? To which is the answer within?" The book closed and she finished off the last of the bowl. "Tell me your answer."

"Both," Metal said quickly.

"Both?" the horse asked. "How so both?"

"Sometimes, one must think. At other times, one must hurry. It is all situational."

The horse leaned in close, her reptile eyes boring deep into Metal. She then smiled and pulled back. "An offering, grown of the Earth, made with your hands. A prayer spoken in a tongue most familiar to me. And," she held up the book, "something to read, chosen from your heart in earnest. I admit that this last one is new to me. Speak to me, so that we may know one another better. What is your name?"

"Er… I am Metal, Knight of the… Knight of the Moon, if this is not an insult to you."

The horse's lips puckered in thought for a moment. "Soleanna is a Kingdom which worships the Sun. They pay their respects to the Moon, to be sure, but to them I am only an all seeing eye that blinks slowly as time passes." She raised a brow at Metal. "A recorder of history, to them. How applicable do you think this is to you?"

Metal looked left and right. "Well, that was mentioned in the ceremony, but the Princess said it was for my status to reflect."

She smiled. "Hmm, but you chose me for another reason, did you not?"

"In many cultures… the Moon is the spirit of life and fertility."

"Life…" she sighed in content, "What a glorious word that is. There are trinities and systems that thrive off another. The heart, the lungs, the brain. Sunlight and the rain. The warm and the cold. All these things collectively make life, while life is a collection of these things. Can you tell me the difference?"

"Many things can make life, but life does not have to be made by many things, yes?"

"Good. Are you calm, now?"

"I am. So, if I may sound ignorant for a moment, who exactly are you?"

She looked at Metal with an obviously false scowl. "_You_ were the one who summoned me here. Shouldn't _you_ know the answer?"

"Well, the safe conclusion would be that you are the Moon. But that's improbable, as you are here and the Moon," Metal pointed skyward, "is up there. Not to mention you're nowhere near as round. Or white."

The horse chuckled. "Fair enough, I suppose. If you wanted to get technical and hold me by the standards of the physical plain, no, I am not _the_ Moon. But then, even spiritually speaking, the Moon is merely a rock in the sky. I am what The Moon represents for those that can observe it. If you wanted to give me a name, you'll have to live with Night Mare."

"That's certainly original."

"Like how you named your horse the same thing?"

"…"

"I represent _all_ aspects of the night. Your dreams aren't so hard to find."

"Night Mare, then. Any particular reason you're a unicorn?"

"Unicorn?" Night Mare bristled, two wings flaring at her sides. "I am much more than that, I'll have you know." She then hissed and retracted her appendages. "Ouch, I forgot I wasn't supposed to do that."

"Your wing," Metal said, standing up and running to her side. The wing in question could hardly be called that. It was malformed and bent at odd angles, even blacker than the rest of her fur and feathers. Further analysis showed it was charred as if it were a chicken wing that had been cooked for too long.

"It's nothing," Night Mare said.

"Hardly," Metal said. "If you were mortal, you'd have this thing amputated. Tell me why it's like this."

Night Mare turned her head, her mouth frowning but her eyes curious. "You called me here. Should we not be talking about _your _request?"

Metal turned to her. "If you're hurt, it's only right that I help you. All life, endless or otherwise, should not be made to suffer if one can do something about it."

Night Mare blinked and smiled. "Hmm… perhaps you can help me." She allowed her wing to relax, the weak limp falling onto Metal's hands. "Mine is the world of spirit; none of your knowledge of earthly medicine can help me. To fix my wound, it must be done on the betwixt between our plains."

Metal rubbed his hand across the thin, bony appendage. "It looks like burn, of course. But it still looks fresh. Was this done recently?"

The dark horse raised her head toward the Moon. "I was attacked recently, in the mortal realm. Completely without warning. Had the strike come from Earth, I could have prevented it. But…"

"The ARK…" Metal whispered.

"You know what attacked me?" Night Mare said.

Metal almost dropped the wing in his shock. "The… the crater. The large chunk of The Moon that was blown away… that's this wing?"

Night Mare nodded with a sigh. "You understand, of course. You are intelligent."

"Of course I understand! The tides, the season, the winds, the climates… everything was only slightly thrown off kilter from the blast. It was a miracle that the coasts were only slightly changed. Hell, it's a miracle that Earth wasn't reshaped. Are you saying that _you_ are that miracle?" Metal let the wing go and it folded against Night Mare's back.

"This ark that you speak of, what is it? My eye only sees what is on the Earth's face."

"It is…" Metal chuckled and walked around to meet Night Mare's face. "Forgive me, but this is not what I expected to be doing tonight."

Night Mare shrugged in a way that only a horse could. "Knowing you, you probably weren't even expecting a response."

Metal 'hmmed.' "The ARK is a spherical system for the sustainment of life. Err, well, it used to be spherical. Half of it was destroyed for its secondary function. It has a laser canon capable of destroying the Earth, if used properly. It was only partially charged when it struck the Moon." Metal shook his head. "That was being used to demonstrate its awesome power. At only a fraction of its strength, it can decimate cities. At full charge…"

Night Mare frowned deeply. "At full power, Earth wouldn't stand a chance. In any case, I've been straining myself to keep nature intact."

"What can I do?" Metal asked.

Night Mare chuckled. "How strange. You are offering to help me when you are the one who summoned my help."

"Well, you are the Moon. Helping you would help the planet, right?"

"Hmm… However, you are in no fit state to help me."

"What do you mean?"

Night Mare looked thoughtful. "Tell me something; who Are you?"

Metal tilted is head to the side. "Huh? Who I am?"

"No, no, no, not who you Am. Who you Are."

"Who I… Are?"

Night Mare nodded. "You still don't know who you Are. Once you've discovered that, you'll be able to help me."

"How do I go about finding who I Are, then?"

Night Mare gave a sly smile. "Is that not why you summoned me? You sought my guidance, and now I'll give it. I'll take you down the path that leads to who you Are, and thus the path to being able to help me. Funny how things work out like that."

"But what does 'who I Are' mean? I can't be anyone other than myself."

"You say this with startling conviction. I suppose that's understandable, given your curious situation."

"Believe me, I tried to be someone else; it's what I was built to do. But the task proved impossible."

"I agree. But Sonic is an Am, not an Are. You still don't understand. That's fine, I didn't expect even you to have such a grasp on the soul. More specifically, your own soul." Night Mare's horn glowed. "Show me the Emerald you hold, the one that is not your heart at the moment."

Metal slowly pulled the Chaos Emerald out, the stone still wrapped in its cloth. It floated out of his hand and the cloth fell.

"Allow me to guide you through the depths of your heart. Give it any name; the heart, the subconscious, your hidden ego. It often knows things about oneself that one does not."

"That doesn't make much sense," Metal said. "The subconscious is a collection of…"

Night Mare laughed. "Yes, it would be foolish to finish that thought. Your mind isn't like so many others. You are special, being a break away from Sonic. Even still, your heart often knows things you don't. Whether or not that's regardless of anyone else is yet to be seen. Now, tell me; would you like to explore your mind?" The Emerald began to glow its purple sheen. "Simply touch it as you have always done, but this time, focus not on any desire to know Sonic. Focus on me, and I will guide you through your dream."

Metal hesitated as he held his hand over the Emerald. "I am scared."

"Then you are alive." An unseen force pushed Metal's hand onto the Emerald, and he felt himself fall backwards and splash into some water. That was strange for a number of reason, two of which being that he was nowhere near the lake and he could actually _feel_ it. The black sky fell away from him, and he watched as Night Mare seemed to dive after him.

Light seemed to fade away and the world vanished. In no time, Metal felt his decent slow, his body righting itself on his fett as he landed on what he considered the strangest piece of art he'd ever seen. A massive, circular stain glass portrait of Sonic surrounded by the Chaos Emeralds served as a platform. Behind Sonic was an angry array of oranges and red that seemed to be fire.

Night Mare landed as softly as Metal had. "Welcome, Metal, to the Center of Your Heart."

Metal looked at his hands. "My dream body…"

"No," Night Mare said, coming closer. "This is yours. Perhaps it's not out there, in the world of matter, but that makes it no less real. Underneath your shell, this is what your hearts creates."

Metal took another look at the glass below his shoes. "What is this glass pane?"

"Hmm… if your heart were a box, what sort of things would I find inside?" She began to walk around the edges.

"I… well, Sonic, like it or not, is always in my thoughts. He gave me life, and at the same time makes it a difficult one. He's important to my existence. But there are others that are important to me in other ways. Eggman made me, for example. Tails is the most precious friend I have. Why are they not here?"

"Aren't they?" Night Mare smiled. She stopped and tapped the ground, making a 'chink' noise. Metal looked down and saw the smiling faces of Eggman, Tails, Shadow, and Henry the Sword Master surrounding Sonic's head. Metal took a closer look at the stained glass and saw that there where pictures of his friends around the edge.

"What…?"

"We all hold very dear memories in our hearts. Should you look into a heart the way I can, you would see what matters most to it. To yours, it is Sonic. He provides for your being in ways you don't even understand. His memories fuel your own, creating the heart you have now.

"…"

"But as you can see, he is not the only thing that's important, just the most. There are others who have touched your hearts and left imprints, some more than others."

"… There's something wrong here, though."

Night Mare's Smile became a little larger. "And that is?"

"Two things, actually. One; a few of the spaces are empty."

"What could those be, I wonder? Memories you forgot? Friends you've left behind? Or perhaps they are memories you have yet to create."

"A heart can't predict the future. But it can have a void."

"Ha, ha. You're making this fairly easy for me. Something is missing from your heart, correct. What those things are? Whether they're missing or you're still waiting for them? Well, not even I can tell you that."

"The second thing; I _know_ there are some things missing from this pane."

"Ahh, and thus we reach your weakness."

"And that is?"

"What you _know_ and what you _feel_ are two very different things, as I'm sure you remember Chaos telling you. For you, feelings are distinct and strange because of your former mechanical being, making them easy to pinpoint and establish. But they are still feelings and fall victim to the heart's weakness of conflicting with itself. Perhaps you know what your heart is missing, but your heart doesn't want to admit it. To be fair, you are being restricted by a force outside your control."

"I had thought about that before." Metal brought a hand to his chin. "A friend of mine was locked in my mind at one point and found a space I didn't know existed. I am unable to notice it."

"On your own." A dark cloud formed when Night Mare flared her good wing. When the smoke settled, a rusted, bolted door stood in its wake. "This is the door that is blocked from you, what holds back what you know to be true and your heart is unable to feel. As you can see, there is but one lock left."

Metal looked at the door. Indeed, there was one single bolt left. He reached out to touch it and shouted in pain as he pulled his hand away.

"Hot, hot!" he yelled.

With a frown, Night Mare continued, "The Chaos Emeralds are the key to it by mere chance. By my will, the last Emerald you touched brought us here instead of to a forgotten memory of Sonic's. You draw dangerously close to what it is that he hides."

"Do… do you know what it is?"

Night Mare shook her head. "It is not my place to tell you, even if I knew. One's heart is not to be shared 'less the other allows. Your very existence breaks this rule dramatically, but you shall understand when it is time."

"Right, of course. Can't be up front, can you?"

"You wouldn't learn otherwise. Here's what I can do; ask me of your own heart, and I will answer as best as I can. As you said, you know some things are missing."

"Hmm… Well, where's Henry? The other one, I mean."

"You mean Sonic, right?"

"If Sonic is Henry, then so be it. I mean Henry, the one that resides in my heart. I know he is here."

Night Mare nodded and stepped aside. Standing behind her was a brown hedgehog. "'Sup?"

Metal jumped back a bit. "Uh- huh?"

"Hey, you called me, buddy. Can I help you in some way?"

"I… wasn't expecting this."

"Believe me, I wasn't either. But, then, I don't expect a lot of things, given my position."

"Okay, then. What do you want, exactly? We've met once, in the mansion, and you seem to be Sonic."

"I'm not Sonic, just so you know. Sonic is _me_. Or I'm what he was. Whichever floats your boat." Henry walked up the where Sonic was in the floor and spat on it. "As for what I want? I want what you want."

"Somehow I don't think you're talking about my desire for life."

"Nope. I'm talking about your desire to destroy Sonic. I want it as much as you do."

"But why? Wasn't Sonic you?"

"Right. But I'm not Sonic. As for why… I can't remember right now."

"You can't?"

Henry thumbed at the door. "It's somewhere in there. All I know is that I _really_ want to destroy Sonic." Henry paused. "Heh, heh. I don't suppose you've noticed this yet, but your desire to come to life appeared at the same time your hatred for Sonic appeared, didn't it?"

"… It was latent, but it was there. Why?"

A sudden roar came from the darkness and Metal leaped out of the way as something large ran by him.

It was something like Sarsar, only not quite as bulky. It had the feral teeth and sharp claws. But it wore no shoes of any kind and Metal could see its unkempt toenails. Instead of blue fur, it had red. Instead of green eyes, it had blue. The beast was shaggy and unclean. Judging by the nasty look it was giving Metal, it was not happy.

"You're still clueless about this whole thing," Henry said with a dark chuckle. "That's okay. You don't need to know, since I barely remember myself. This guy keeps me company in here, in the depths of your heart."

"What is it!?"

"What you are seeing is only a representation," Night Mare said. She circled the new creature. "Your heart can't quite recall, so you're subconsciously filling in the blanks. Sarsar's form comes close to the primal desires it has."

"What desires?"

"Life," the beast snarled.

"Huh?"

The red beast pointed a sharp claw at Metal, looking even angrier than before. "You, life. Me, no life. You, life take."

Metal was silent, unsure how to answer. The beast's eyes were filled with tears.

"Me take back!" The beast swung its arms madly. Metal sidestepped out of the way. It roared once more and tumbled forward into the darkness. It did not come back.

"I don't understand."

"And you won't until you've found the last Emerald," Henry said, turning around. "If you don't know anything, you can't understand anything."

"Not quite true," Night Mare said. "Living creatures understand many things and can know nothing at all."

Henry waved her off. "Whatever. It's not like he's strong enough to admit it without the Emerald's help. Once that happens…"

"Well?" Metal insisted.

"I'm not sure. But when it happens, I'm pretty sure it's gonna be bad." Henry walked off of the pane and into the darkness.

"What just happened?"

"They were parts of your heart," Night Mare said. She gazed into the darkness. "You only asked for Henry, to be true. But the beast you saw was connected to him. They share a commonality, making one incomplete without the other."

"What, though? You say it was beast-like to represent its primal desire for life. It was something else. However, all of the memories I've seen only have Henry and Kintobor."

"Come now, are you not a robot of reason? I have given you a fact. Reach it with logic."

Metal turned to the rusted door. "All the memories have been Henry's so far. But you claim this creature is just as important as him."

"Indeed."

"So, then, that would mean that the creature has no memories. Except maybe one; it has to be behind that door. A memory that they share, perhaps."

"Logically, one could assume that."

"And I… I noticed something else."

Night Mare didn't say anything.

"Henry wants to kill Sonic. So do I."

"…"

"The beast wants life. So do I."

"…"

"The similarities aren't coincidental, are they?"

"You must be the one to discover that. And with that, we are done."

"Huh?" Metal said, finding himself once again in his metallic body. The Purple Emerald was clutched in his hand, Night Mare still in front of him as though no time had passed.

"I have set you on the path," Night Mare said. "Now you must follow it. What will be at the end? The power to help me? An ending bathed in destruction? The life you crave? That depends on a great many things."

"I… I feel more lost then I was before. I feel like I know less about myself as I know more. Tell me something, Night Mare; am I special to you in some way? Why do I get the feeling you have selected me out?"

Night Mare got close to Metal. "I promised to answer your questions as honestly as I am allowed about your heart. So here it is; your heart is special. Do you know why?"

Metal shook his head.

"Of all the beings and creatures I've seen in my millennia watching this planet, none have a birth or existence that better represents life than yours."

"So you've been keeping an eye me."

"I watch all under the sky. But you in particular, I'll admit, I have prayed for a long time now. Even before I was blasted."

"For what?"

"For my Reagent." Night Mare nuzzled his icy cold metal check. "I want you to be my knight, if you can. You can't now, but you're close. I want you to be the one I grant my ultimate power to. And more than that, I want you to be my friend."

Metal raised a hand and gently petted her neck. "You gods are a lot less intimidating then you let on, aren't you?"

Night Mare sighed. "I'm not a god, only a spirit. A soul without true form. I can still be lonely."

"Would you like me to stay with you for the night? Just talking?"

NightMare gave a coy grin. "We could do that. Or…" She tapped his shoulder with a hoof. "Tag! You're it!" She galloped away from Metal.

"What the…?" Metal asked. He then chuckled. "Well, why not?" He ran after her.

-break-

Omega looked at Shadow. Then at the T.V. Then at Shadow again. Then the T.V.

"Omega, are you glitching again?"

Omega turned to Shadow. "Please tell Tails to look at my optical sensors when he is done talking to Metal."

"Why?"

"Because you are currently on the news. But you can't be. You are here."

Shadow tossed his paper aside and set slid his coffee away. "What are they saying about me now?"

"That you are in Chun-Nan, demanding Sonic to face you in combat."

Shadow appeared very confused at this and looked at the T.V. Shadow, wearing some sort of armor that made him look fat, in Shadow's opnion, was making demands into a camera.

"And why are you doing this Shadow?" a reporter asked 'Shadow.'

"I told you, peasant, I am Sir Lancelot and I have come seeking the great warrior of this world, Sonic. If he does not face me soon, then I will have no choice but to begin attacking all houses of power within your kingdoms. And why are you pointing that box at me? Is it a soul stealer? Begone!" 'Shadow' heaved a sword up and swung at the camera that was pointed at him.

Shadow's expression was of pure confusion. There was no explanation for what he had just seen, at least not within his range of logic.

"Metal!" Shadow cried out as he began to run down the halls of the Great Babylon.

At least Omega's sensors weren't breaking. He still thought the universe was, though.

-Author's Note-

Welp, I'm sure some of you are confused, so let me explain. Skip the next two paragraphs if you are a new reader.

The original chapter sucked. It just did. I'm not afraid to admit that the original second half was VERY poorly executed due to personal issues at the time. It was meant to reference and homage to another video game, of which uses a school-of-thought I am partial to. But I didn't get it across well at all and looked like an idiot.

So I decided to change it for two reasons. One is, like I said, the original sucked. The second is that I have come up with a way to better represent and get across Metal's Knight of the Moon status, something I hadn't touched upon well enough originally. I'm adding and changing a few more scenes later on to make the Moon element more apparent, thus making a part of the ending I had planned make more sense.

Now, for Night Mare herself. Some of you may have recognized her from a cartoon show. If you don't know, that's fine. If you know what she's based off of and love it, great. If you know what she's based off and don't care, great. If you know what she's based off, don't like it, but read on anyway, you're awesome. If you suddenly hate me, well, I'll have to call you big-headed. I hope Night Mare doesn't ruin the story for anyone.

For those of you who know who she is, yes, there will be more references to that show. More direct ones, but bended for my own purposes, as I tend to do more and more. Towards the end, in fact, in a last minute squeeze.

Sincerely,  
>The Conflicted Writer<p> 


	45. Mugged

I'm so lost and confused. A man pretended to have a panic attack and used the distration to steal my backpack with my laptop and everything on it. All of my stories were on it. It was my only worldy possesion as a homeless and lost boy. Hours upon hours of tears and words... gone in an instant.

I suddenly hate everything. My world suddenly seems so dark. I'm writing this from a computer that I'm not supposed to be using. I have no way to write. It may take me ages to see any messages anyone posts. All I can do now is sit in my room, no music, no words. Why did this happen? I was trying to help a guy who I was afraid was dying, and I'm punished for it. I want everything to vanish in flames.

I'm sorry. Who knows when I'll write again. If things go well, I'll write Celestia's Daughter sonner than later. But Metal Overdrive may be gone forever. Losing that is what's crushed me more than anything.

Goodbye for now.


	46. Update

I thank you all for your words of encouragement. It hasn't been easy, getting back on a computer. My local library blocks fanfiction because it has R-rated content. But that isn't the worst story I have for you.

Some of you have suggested making a police report. A nice couple on the streets did that for me not less than a minute after the guy ran, so I could make an imediate report. Some of you have suggested searching for the guy. Guess what? I found him. Sorry, Logan, but that pleading thing didn't work. I'd sad to say he's something akin to a gang member with a possie, as far asI can tell. Once I asked someone to call the police and confronted him, he said two absolutely ridiculous things that removed all doubt from my mind. First, he said I was racist, saying he was the mugger because of his skin when I was careful _not_ to do that. Second, he said he was going to tell the police I was a pedophile. Obviously, he was trying to scare me away. But I could tell from his face and the tatoo on his neck in the shape of a scroll that it was him.

But the police didn't believe me. Because I couldn't say what exactly his skin color was when I first reported it (and mind you, it was dark. I couldn't tell if he was dark mexican or light black), they can't do anything. He goes free. He might be investigated, but even with me pointing to another witness, they don't think anything will come of this. And now he knows he'll be investigated, so he has time to destroy any evidence.

I'm so angry. But not all hope is lost.

You are all such wonderful people. I've written stories for three different places, those being here, Fimfiction, and Furaffinity. Yes, I have fetishes. I think all us folk past puberty know this can happen. Though I'm asexual, so for me they aren't fetishes, but we're off topic. A blessed fellow from furaffinity is sending me a laptop. Normally this would be a problem since the shelter I stay at doesn't let me accept help from people who aren't bilogically related to me, of which I have none that care... until recently, but that's another story. He found a workaround to send me the laptop, and my heart aches from his kindness. Not just his, but so many others. I've gotten two other offers for laptops since, and many people who offered to send me money, and people who would let me move in with them if we weren't states apart.

So to all you people who offered; thanks. I don't like accepting money, but those who have insisted, I want to thank you. So thank you, thank you, thank you.

Now, about Metal Overdrive... I admit, it might be a while before I write more for this story. I love it to bits because it's _mine_, born from my thoughts and love, and then more thoughts and more love from you people. I don't want it to die, but I feel like I'm dead. However, TheGirlInTheMentalHospital left a review that I think puts it best. So, for those of you who once read this story, I could use your help.

Write me outlines of what you remember. Anything, even the smallest details, would help jog my memory of what was there before. Afterwords, send it to me so that I can absorb it. I might still change what had been there before drastically, but at least this way I can recall the feelings and the themes I wanted. Thank you all for your help and support. i wish I could give you so much more than my words.

Oh, and Shelby? Please tell Shippo thanks as well.


	47. Update, mrk II

One more update, my friends. I have a new computer given by the friend (and his friend who I know by association) I mentioned I know on Furaffinity. He goes by GluttonVinyl, and if you care to find out, you could probably search his watches to figure out who I am. So, now I can write again! But, like I also said, it will be a while before I write Metal Overdrive again. It will happen, I promise. Just give me time. Until then, please keep an eye on StrobelightMaster, who is DragoonMach5 here on deviantert for... various reasons. There'll be something amazing over there, not that there isn't already. She's good with that drawing thing, you know? Also send your love to Shelby the Hedgehog, who you know is special to me if you go back and read my Author's Notes. Also someone named Shippo Ramen here, MyLittleTimeLord on FimFiction. If it weren't for them and a few select others, I'd be feeling pretty crummy right now.

That's it for now. Send pms whenever, I'll still read them and reply. Later.


	48. One last update

Well, I guess it's clear I never came back.

I'm sorry for that, but life just didn't work out. I didn't get the help I needed, and besides that, life has been terrible. I'm alive, but far, far from comfortable.

It's safe to say this story... this story is over. I can't find the words anymore, and I've moved on. I know it's sad, but I don't know what to do.

If enough people ask, I'll write out the outline of what I had planned, so you can at least know how it ends. Or perhaps someone would like to be my understudy and take the story. Either way...

I'm afraid this is goodbye, Metal Overdrive. It was fun while it lasted. But unless I win the lottery, this is it. I hope this story will be fondly remembered.

Sincerely,  
>The Conflicted Writer.<p> 


End file.
